Formula 1 CEO Stefano Domenicali says a Hollywood movie production crew will begin shooting an F1-based film “very soon”.
A spokesperson for the Silverstone circuit confirmed to RaceFans it is among the venues where filming will take place.Mercedes driver Lewis Hamilton is consulting on the new movie project, directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joe Kosinski and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer. Actor Brad Pitt will star in the film, acting as the main character.
The untitled project will be the first Hollywood-produced movie around the world championship since 2013’s Rush, which focused on the 1976 title battle between James Hunt and Niki Lauda. The upcoming film will centre around an original story based in the world of modern Formula 1, rather than fictionalised retelling of a real-life F1 story.
Speaking at a recent investors’ call, Domenicali said that the movie project demonstrated F1’s desire to attract a media audience beyond ‘Drive to Survive’, its popular Netflix documentary series.
“[It’s] another way to show what we want to do, something different,” said Domenicali. “When we started the collaboration with Netflix, the community said ‘what’s going on? This is not our place to be’. And now we understand the power of it.
“We added the very strong presence with social media, making sure that all our drivers and teams are very active in promoting the sport. And that’s another tool with the movie they’re going to be produced. We’re going to start the shooting in Silverstone very soon.
“It will be the first movie where basically they will be within the show, within the racing event. It will be quite invasive. In terms of production it’s something that we need to control in a way, but it will be another way of showing that Formula 1 never stops.”
Full details of exactly how the production will be embedded within Formula 1 events have yet to be announced. It will likely draw comparisons to John Frankenheimer’s 1966 film ‘Grand Prix’, some of which was shot at races that year.
Frankenheimer captured footage was from live Formula 1 sessions. Some cars were fitted with early examples of onboard cameras during practice sessions to capture additional material.
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Bullfrog (@bullfrog)
21st April 2023, 9:15
Smart thinking by the F1 teams to use the German word, as in “Box, box.” Soon we’ll be hearing nothing but Pitt this, Pitt that and it could have caused confusion.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
22nd April 2023, 0:00
@bullfrog 😂
No ability to just emote so there’s your laugh. I’ll admit it took me a split second longer to click than I’m proud of though.
spoutnik (@spoutnik)
21st April 2023, 12:39
Finally a fiction ! I’m no fan of sports documentaries and would rather either watch a pure fiction or the old classic race directly. I no fan when directors embellish or revamp past events to suit their agendas, and I usually don’t like actors impersonating a past hero of mine, so better get entirely fictional for me.
I’m curious as to whether they will be able to produce something fresh and interesting or not and just hope it’s not a hidden biography of Hamilton.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
22nd April 2023, 0:03
@spoutnick not that I knew Lauda at all, but Brühl’s depiction of Lauda in Rush seemed accurate.
It probably helped that Lauda was very unique and obviously different so the subtle idiosyncrasy differences are unnoticed.
Bobby (@shakenbake)
21st April 2023, 14:57
I hope they don’t go with the cliche old hat racer who’s nearly down and out, has one last hurrah as they unseat the upcoming new talent trope. Though to be fair that is similar to the situation we’ve been treated to with Lewis and Max in 2021, which was a brilliant season. So there’s certainly some real life situations they can take inspiration from but i hope they try something new with the plot. Maybe Pitt will be the ex racer, turned team boss. Or is that too close to Cars 3?!
Either way, with the current state of modern F1, TG: Maverick Director and Pitt producing/acting, it’s a got a lot going for it. Looking forward to seeing it come to fruition.
Rhys Lloyd (@justrhysism)
22nd April 2023, 0:06
@shakenbake Yeah Pitt is way too old for modern F1. I suspect he’ll be team boss, and the driver actors will be new faces similar to the new faces for TG: Maverick (which was such an awesome film).
Steven Williamson (@scubaboy)
24th April 2023, 4:50
They are literally using the same plot as the IndyCar movie Driven. Pitt will be a retired driver that has to come out retirement to teammate a struggling young driver(haven’t heard who that actor will be yet). Driven was OK, but a bit schlocky due to having Stallone and Reynolds in it, wish they had gone with more unknown actors, but they did film during actual sessions, movie cars mixed in with race cars, real driver cameos. Criticized for unrealistic crashes – but the much worse race ending Las Vegas crash hadn’t happened yet. Had a lot of incredible moments in film – picking up a coin off the track with a hot tire, driving under haulers, racing through city streets (and sucking up manhole covers because they haven’t been welded down as normally done before a street race).
Nulla Pax (@nullapax)
21st April 2023, 15:08
I am already looking forwards to avoiding it ;)
Simon
22nd April 2023, 16:04
Same
floodo1 (@floodo1)
21st April 2023, 16:16
Bruckheimer and Kosinski, gonna be good /s
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
21st April 2023, 17:34
I’m not saying I’m ‘above’ a good action picture. But anything Jerry Bruckheimer or Michael Bay tends to just bore me. I struggle to feel engaged or invested. Somewhat like DoS is. I always assume its because I know what happens as I was watching 6 months earlier in realtime.
But then the tire screeches, the kerb cams, mixed with helicopter shots from a different part of the race, the “oh my god commentary”, cut back to a somber Will Buxton saying something philosophical / benign. Maybe its that that I don’t like? Probably.
Regardless, I don’t think its aimed at me. I’m not going to go out of my way to watch it. But just because you don’t like something, doesn’t mean that someone else enjoying it isn’t worth something. I enjoy trainspotting trainspotters. I’m at the station twice a day and occasionally we’ll share a bench at a station and they’re always really happy nice people. I ask about it, and slowly I understand less and less. But I like that they like it. It makes me happy to see them happy. Even if it isn’t for me.
I doubt many of us are excited about the next DoS or a ‘Bruckheimer does F1 film’. But then if we aren’t, we don’t have to watch it, and if it brings more people to F1, is that really a bad thing? I get there downsides, but are they less than the good?
Personally I would have preferred Bernie to let Sylvester Stallone to have made ‘Driven’ an F1 film. That I’d watch today. But I guess that ship has sailed.
I luv chicken
21st April 2023, 18:50
I smell a rat ( not Niki ). Sounds to me like Driven 2.0. Wonder is they called Sly for advice.
peter
22nd April 2023, 8:29
“It will be the first movie where basically they will be within the show, within the racing event.”
John Frankenheimer strongly disagrees.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Grand_Prix_(1966_film)
Steven Robertson (@emu55)
22nd April 2023, 9:51
I can’t wait to see a scene where a driver behind matching the speed of the car in front suddenly goes up 3 gears and speeds past.
I luv chicken
22nd April 2023, 16:56
The cars will have automatic transmissions. The driver will pull ahead by pushing down on the gas pedal. ( But I do like the 3 gears, even though he’ll already be in 8th gear)
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
22nd April 2023, 17:03
I think the real question here is how do we give ERS a sound effect that makes it sounds sexy? ‘Depleting Battery’ isn’t exactly going to get the crowd going.
I luv chicken
22nd April 2023, 19:35
Can they still do baseball cards in the spokes of the wheels? That would give it a good sound.
bernasaurus (@bernasaurus)
22nd April 2023, 16:59
@emu55 Ah, yes. The classic ‘gear shift’. Like neither driver had thought of shifting up until the protagonist comes up with this brilliant idea that makes them go faster.
Wayne
23rd April 2023, 20:49
I Just pray and hope the movie is a financial and critical success. Becayse i can see it now if its a failure or dud. People will be blaming Sir Lewis Hamilton. If its a success it will be becos of the director and Brad Pitt of cause.