Director Joseph Kosinski set out to make the most authentic racing movie ever made with F1. Judging by the new footage with Brad Pitt behind the wheel, Kosinski might have achieved his goal.
Apple Original Films released the main trailer for F1, the upcoming sports drama from the filmmaker behind Top Gun: Maverick. Sonny Hayes (Pitt) is a driver looking for redemption after a career-altering accident in the 1990s nearly cost him his career. Hayes never lived up to his talent and became known as “the greatest that never was.”
30 years later, Sonny gets a second chance from Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), his former teammate and owner of the struggling Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP). Ruben convinces Sonny to join his team and drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), a young phenom with much to learn. For someone considered an “old school cowboy” and a “lone wolf,” Sonny must learn that Formula One is a team sport.
“We all lose our jobs if you can’t pull off a miracle,” says Kerry Condon’s Kate, who works for APXGP.
The trailer ends with sensational racing footage featuring Sonny’s impressive driving skills as he expertly maneuvers down a straightaway. However, F1 also highlights the dangers of the sport and teases a potentially debilitating crash.
“How do you think I’d feel if you die on the track?” Ruben says in a voiceover while watching one of the cars spin out.
Tobias Menzies and Kim Bodnia also star.
Kosinski directs F1 from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger based on a story developed by the duo. Producers include Pitt, Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner, Chad Oman, and seven-time Formula One world champion Lewis Hamilton.
While F1 features a fictitious story, the movie was filmed at the sites of several Grand Prix weekends from the past two seasons. Many Formula One drivers will appear in the movie, including Hamilton, Max Verstappen, Charles Leclerc, and Oscar Piastri.
F1 is one of the biggest gambles of the summer blockbuster season. The rumored budget is $300 million, though Kosinski and Bruckheimer dispute that number. Regardless of the exact number, F1 is still an expensive blockbuster based on an original idea, further adding to the risk.
F1 hails from Apple Original Films and will be distributed in theaters by Warner Bros. F1 races into theaters on June 27.