Brad Pitt is currently riding high with the box office success of F1, but he recently opened up about a racing movie that almost happened over a decade ago, and how Tom Cruise may have walked away from it because he wouldn’t be behind the wheel enough.
In a recent interview with The National, Pitt revealed that he and Cruise were originally lined up to star in Ford v Ferrari with Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick, F1) set to direct. That version never happened, and the film eventually landed with director James Mangold, starring Christian Bale and Matt Damon.
But according to Pitt, it wasn’t just studio politics or budget battles that killed their version, it was about the cars.
“Tom and I, for a while there, were on Ford v Ferrari with Joe [to direct]. This was about 10 years before the guys who actually made it – and made it a great movie.
“What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive, and [Tom] wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles. And when Tom realized that Carroll Shelby would not be driving much in the movie, it didn’t come through.
“So I’m not sure how that’s going to work [in a potential F1 sequel], but we’ll give it a go. I’d love to.”
So, I guess if Cruise isn’t shifting gears at 150 mph, he’s probably not signing on.
Pitt is now at the center of the biggest racing movie of the year, with F1 pulling in $144 million worldwide in its opening and Apple already teasing sequel conversations. While he’s open to returning, Pitt says the focus of a follow-up should stay on co-star Damson Idris’ character, Joshua Pierce.
“I would want to drive again, selfishly speaking. F1 is still the focus. It needs to be on Joshua Pierce – Damson Idris’s character – and the rest of the team fighting for a championship.
“Where does Sonny fit in? I’m not sure. Sonny’s probably out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting speed records or something like that. So I’m not sure beyond that, just yet.”
Kosinski has floated a wild crossover sequel idea that could finally get Cruise and Pitt onscreen together, and behind the wheel, in the same movie. His pitch is to see Pitt’s Sonny Hayes with Cruise’s Cole Trickle from Days of Thunder. The director said:
“Well, right now, it’d be Cole Trickle, who was [Cruise’s] Days of Thunder character, we find out that he and [Brad Pitt’s] Sonny Hayes have a past.
“They were rivals at some point, maybe crossed paths. … I heard about this epic go-kart battle on Interview With a Vampire that Brad and Tom had, and who wouldn’t pay to see those two go head-to-head on the track?”
For now, Pitt is just happy F1 crossed the finish line strong.
“We were all a bit white-knuckled to see if it was going to come through. We are delightfully surprised that everything that we had aimed for, and then some, came to fruition.
“Right now, I’m just pleased as punch that something like this can bring people together. That’s the power of this kind of cinema.”
If you haven’t seen F1 yet, get out to the theater and watch it! The movie is awesome!
