Lewis Hamilton is set to join forces with Brad Pitt to produce a thrilling Formula One film – after Apple Studios won the rights for $130M following a fierce bidding war
Lewis Hamilton is set to join forces with Brad Pitt for a drama after Apple won the rights to the film in a reported $130 million deal.
According to Deadline, the film will see Pitt, 58, star as a racing driver who comes out of retirement to compete with a rookie, with the former World Champion, 37, acting as a producer on the project.
The film, which is yet untitled, will be directed by Joseph Kosinski, who recently helmed the critically-lauded sequel Top Gun: Maverick.
Coming soon: Lewis Hamilton is set to join forces with Brad Pitt for a drama after Apple won the rights to the film in a reported $130 million deal
Pitt’s character will make one last bid for racing glory as he tries to mentor a young driver against some of the fastest racers in Formula One.
The upcoming film is shaping up to have an action film dream team working under the hood, as super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer is attached to the project, as is screenwriter Ehren Kruger.
Back in December it was reported that Pitt’s latest film had sparked a fierce bidding war between a range of film studios and streaming services.
Exciting: The film will see Pitt star as a racing driver who comes out of retirement to compete with a rookie, with Lewis acting as a producer on the project.
The upcoming film is shaping up to have an action film dream team working under the hood, as super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer is attached to the project, as is screenwriter Ehren Kruger.
Lewis himself is no stranger to Hollywood, having previously made cameos in Cars 2, Cars 3 and Zoolander 2, and in March Apple secured the rights to a documentary about his life and racing career.
When asked about a move to Hollywood back in 2019, Lewis said: ‘I don’t know if I am ever going to be good at movies, but I’ll give it a try.’
Pitt has reportedly long been interested in making a racing picture with Kosinski, and the duo were previously in talks to make an early version of what eventually became the hit racing film Ford V Ferrari.
An early version of the project was titled Go Like Hell and featured Kosinski directing Pitt with Tom Cruise.
Heavy hitters: The untitled project is set to be directed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski (L), and super-producer Jerry Bruckheimer (R) is also attached
Change of plans: Pitt previously wanted to work on a racing film with Kosinski and Tom Cruise, which evolved into Ford V Ferrari
Although racing- and car-focused films have a mixed history of success with audiences, Ford V Ferrari’s commercial performance and critical approval suggest that they can still be a hit under the right conditions.
Pitt received some of the greatest reviews of his career for his 2019 Quentin Tarantino film Once Upon A Time In Hollywood, which costarred Leonardo DiCaprio and Margot Robbie and earned him an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor.
He followed it up with the critically acclaimed but underseen science fiction epic Ad Astra.
The actor and producer will next appear in the comedy The Lost City Of D with Sandra Bullock, the action thriller Bullet Train and La La Land director Damien Chazelle’s film Babylon.
Crossing the finish line: The racing drama proved the sometimes-unreliable genre can still be a hit with audiences and critics alike; still from Ford V Ferrari
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