In the middle of the previous year, Apple announced a film set in the world of F1, the highest category of motor sport. The feature film will also be starring Brad Pitt, one of the most sought-after actors in Hollywood. Almost a year later we have new information; one that, by the way, will raise controversy in the coming days, mainly among fans of Formula 1.
According ESPN, Brad Pitt will drive his own car during the UK Grand Prix at Silverstone, which will be held on July 9. Be careful, it will not be done in a separate session dedicated to filming, but along with the rest of the real F1 grid. Yes, the actor will be in the midst of drivers like Max Verstappen, Sergio Pérez and Fernando Alonso, to name a few.
The aforementioned media also mentions that the production will have its own team in F1 for the remainder of the season. Thus, it will become the eleventh organization in the highest category. The plan is for the filming headed by Brad Pitt to take place throughout the next Grand Prix.
Without a doubt, this surprising movement will have defenders and detractors alike. Looking ahead to the film, there is no better way to show the atmosphere of a Grand Prix than by taking advantage of the celebration of a real one. Also, of course, the fact of having the official drivers on the grid together with Brad Pitt will make many more people interested in the film, than Coming exclusively to Apple TV+.
However, if it is analyzed from the motor sport side, there are several questions that will have to be resolved shortly. How will filming influence the competition? Will teams and drivers have to adapt to contribute to it? Introducing Brad Pitt as a driver – surely with his respective partner – and additional equipment, and involving them in a schedule taken care of to the smallest detail, should not be something easy.
At the moment, yes, the production and Apple have not ruled on the matter. Neither do those who run F1. What is clear is that, with the aim of continuing to boost the popularity of their event, they are willing to accept any proposal. Possibly even without first hearing the opinion of the teams.
An important point is that the F1 movie with Brad Pitt is produced by Lewis Hamilton himself, current driver for Mercedes-AMG. The above shows that they want to soak up all the reality surrounding the competition as much as possible. The British are accompanied, in the same position, by Jerry Bruckheimer (World War Z) and Chad Oman (Pirates of the Caribbean). For his part, Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) will be the director.
At the moment, the F1 movie with Brad Pitt does not have a release date yet. Surely we will have to wait until next year to enjoy it.