F1: The Movie director Joseph Kosinski reveals that one of the greatest Formula One drivers in the sport’s history approved Brad Pitt’s real driving in the film. Serving as Kosinski’s follow-up to the acclaimed Top Gun: Maverick (2022), the upcoming Apple blockbuster features Pitt in the role of Sonny Hayes, a former Formula One driver who leaves retirement in order to team up with an ambitious younger racer named Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). As has been shown off in the F1: The Movie trailers, Pitt does much of his own driving in the movie on real F1 tracks.
During a recent interview with The Hollywood Reporter, Kosinski addresses Pitt and Idris’ driving in F1: The Movie, revealing that legendary Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton personally signed off on their practical racing stunts. Though the director admits that it was “nerve-wracking” to watch Pitt and Idris driving at such high speeds, he explains that Hamilton’s sign-off and the two actors’ training was enough to convince him of their abilities. Check out Kosinski’s comment below:
“A lot of conversations with the insurance companies, for sure. The good thing for me is that Brad and Damson both proved themselves to be incredible drivers. Very capable behind the wheel. They were signed off on by Lewis Hamilton himself. So as nerve-wracking as it is to see them driving at this speed, I had faith in their ability and the team we put around them.”
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What This Means For F1: The Movie
Lewis Hamilton Played A Key Role
Lewis Hamilton has won a record seven F1 world тιтles, tying former F1 driver Michael Schumacher. This, on top of other accolades in the sport, clearly makes him one of the foremost voices in the world of Formula One. In addition to being an accomplished driver, Hamilton also serves as a producer on F1: The Movie, and he was involved in training both Pitt and Idris for their time in real race cars. Hamilton’s participation in the film fits with Kosinski’s recent approach to capturing action.
Top Gun: Maverick reviews were glowing from critics, and one of the key reasons for this was the action. Tom Cruise and the rest of the cast spent hundreds of hours flying in real fighter jets for the film, adding an unmistakable layer of authenticity to what ended up on screen. Kosinski has taken this same approach with F1: The Movie, and the intention is clearly to deliver action that feels practical and real. So far, early reviews for the new movie have been mostly positive, suggesting this approach has worked once more.
In her F1: The Movie review for ScreenRant, Mae Abdulbaki awarded the film an eight out of 10 score, praising the races, which she says are “expertly sH๏τ.”
Our Take On Brad Pitt’s Driving In F1
The Races Could Take The Movie To The Next Level
VFX played a large role in Top Gun: Maverick, but filming real actors in real fighter jets elevated the experience a remarkable amount. Though the action in F1: The Movie takes place on the ground instead of in the skies, this approach seems sure to result in another exciting experience. Of course, putting actors into this position does come with a degree of real danger, but Hamilton’s sign-off and his faith in Pitt and Idris does count for a lot given his racing accomplishments.
Despite the practical racing, it seems unlikely that F1: The Movie will manage to totally recapture the magic of Top Gun: Maverick, at least in terms of that film’s $1.495 billion box office haul. Still, Pitt getting behind the wheel of a real race car could be a big draw for audiences, and trailers have teased an intense quality to the action that couldn’t be replicated using CGI.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter
