Veteran actor Randy Quaid, who appeared with Tom Cruise in the original 1990s Days of Thunder, publicly denounced Anne Hathaway’s casting in the upcoming sequel announced by Cruise over the weekend. Quaid said Hathaway is a “leftist, woke, horrible choice” to replace Nicole Kidman in the NASCAR‑themed follow‑up.

Quaids’s statements

Quaid told Fox News Digital that director Tony Scott, whose style he admired, “would never cast Anne in a million years.” He added that Scott favored “well‑made films with great actors who had sex appeal,” and that trying to work around Hathaway would be “hell for everyone.”

Quaid also claimed the film’s target audience is “MAGA” and that the “sexy older chick” needed for Tom Cruise’s love interest should be Kidman, not Hathaway. He suggested the sequel needs “a new race car, not a new girl.”

Responses and context

Representatives for Hathaway and Cruise did not immediately respond to requests for comment. When Quaid posted his remarks on X, reactions were mixed, with some users supporting his view and others defending Hathaway’s casting.

Hathaway is slated to play a team owner in the Paramount production, while Kidman’s role in the original film was a neurosurgeon who fell in love with Cruise’s rookie driver, Cole Trickle.

Industry perspective

Beau Bridges, a longtime friend of Cruise, recently praised the actor’s continued success, noting that Cruise “gets better with age.” The upcoming sequel remains a high‑profile project for the studio, aiming to revive the high‑octane racing drama for a new generation of fans.

Original reporting: Fox News (HLL/CB) — read the source article.