Tom Cruise has been labelled a "p****" for not bringing back ex-wife Nicole Kidman to his latest movie sequel. This week the box office star confirmed a follow-up to his 1990 movie, Days Of Thunder, about a hot-headed open-wheel racer trying to make it in the high-stakes world of NASCAR. He unveiled the project with new co-star Anne Hathaway, who was not in the original, and not everyone was impressed.
Quaid calls for Kidman return
Cruise's ex-wife Nicole Kidman was the love interest in the first film, alongside a stellar cast that included the late Robert Duvall, plus Cary Elwes and Randy Quaid. Quaid, who played a NASCAR team boss in the original, is unhappy that Kidman in particular has not been invited back for the sequel, as of yet.
He ranted on X: "We need Nicole back. Don't be a p****, @TomCruise. You need the original girl. It's not personal; it's filmmaking."
"The sexy older chick for Tom in this film needs to be Nicole," presumably referring to Nicole Kidman. "That's the casting that would sell the idea. It's interesting because when we made the first one there was also a rush to get it out; editors slept in the cutting room on shifts. This is a weird thing, like they want it to come out and tank."
Hathaway casting criticised
He also wasn't keen on Hathaway's casting continuing: "Anne Hathaway is a leftist, woke, horrible choice for DAYS OF THUNDER NASCAR audience who are MAGA," referring to Donald Trump supporters. "Anne isn't sexy, because and if you haven't noticed, she's pregnant."
Quaid, who appeared in many classic comedies over the years including the Vacation series with Chevy Chase, posted multiple messages on the subject. He added: "If I were in control of production, a real sequel worth watching for DAYS OF THUNDER would be seeing Tom and Nicole together on screen again. We don't need a new girl; we need a new race car!"
Sequel details and release
Hathaway confirmed that she'll give birth before filming the sequel commences, and it is slated for a June 2028 release. Hathaway will play a race car team owner and engineer. Jonathan Levine will direct, and Cruise will produce alongside Jerry Bruckheimer and Tommy Harper.
Dubbed Top Gun On Wheels when it was released in 1990, Days Of Thunder reunited Cruise with his Top Gun director Tony Scott but did not fare quite so well at the cinema, grossing a more modest $157.9 million (£118mil).
Famed for doing his own stunts, Cruise crashed multiple times while filming Days of Thunder, including a notable accident on his very first day of driving a live stock car on set. He recalled the feeling of stepping out of the car as "extraordinary" after clocking a personal top speed of 195 mph on the straightaway.
