UB Spotlight + Preview: Damson Idris & Lewis Hamilton Talk ‘F1’
In Theaters and IMAX Nationwide on June 27th.
A Joseph Kosinski Film, “F1: The Movie,” hits theaters and IMAX nationwide on June 27th and internationally beginning June 25th.
From Apple Original Films and the filmmakers from “Top Gun: Maverick” comes the high-octane, action-packed feature film, starring Brad Pitt.
The film is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, Kosinski, seven-time FORMULA 1 world champion Lewis Hamilton, Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, Jeremy Kleiner and Chad Oman.
Dubbed “the greatest that never was,” Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt) was FORMULA 1’s most promising phenom of the 1990s until an accident on the track nearly ended his career.
Thirty years later, he’s a nomadic racer-for-hire when he’s approached by his former teammate Ruben Cervantes (Javier Bardem), owner of a struggling FORMULA 1 team that is on the verge of collapse.
Ruben convinces Sonny to come back to FORMULA 1 for one last shot at saving the team and being the best in the world. He’ll drive alongside Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie intent on setting his own pace.
But as the engines roar, Sonny’s past catches up with him and he finds that in FORMULA 1, your teammate is your fiercest competition—and the road to redemption is not something you can travel alone.
“F1 The Movie” also stars Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia, and Javier Bardem, and was shot during actual Grand Prix weekends as the team competed against the titans of the sport.
Kosinski directs from a screenplay by Ehren Kruger, story by Kosinski & Kruger.
For Kosinski, the idea was sparked by two ideas that came together for him. The first was his fanship of “Drive to Survive,” the hugely successful F1 docuseries. “What really struck me about the first season was that it focused not on the most famous names and teams, but the teams at the back of the pack. That was a story that was very ripe for a film—underdogs who are struggling to get into the top ten, or even survive as a team,” he stated.
The second idea involved a driver a little further up the field. “I happen to have the email of Lewis Hamilton,” he shared. Hamilton, a legendary figure who inspires on the track and off, had briefly considered taking a role in “Top Gun: Maverick.” “I sent an email to Lewis just saying, ‘I want to make a film in this world. I want it to be the most authentic racing film ever. Would you be interested in helping me to do that?’ And he said yes.”
With Hamilton in their corner, and ace screenwriter Ehren Krueger on board to write the screenplay, the filmmakers went to their first choice to play the lead role of Sonny Hayes: Academy Award winning actor Brad Pitt.
Kosinski stated that Brad Pitt brought everything to the table that the project needed in a lead actor. “Brad is an icon, and I wanted Sonny to be iconic as well. Brad takes a role that was made for him and makes it so much more: he had a really strong sense of what he wanted from Sonny Hayes. He’s also a great producer, involved in every aspect of the script and putting the movie together. And on top of everything else, he’s a naturally talented driver who really loves the sport. If Brad didn’t have all of those qualities, I don’t know we would have ever been able to make this.”
Idris was cast in the role of Pearce, Sonny Hayes’ teammate, mentee, and frenemy. Pearce is young and extremely quick—just ask him. Arrogant and egotistical, he has no idea how to translate his incredible driving skill into the team sport that is Formula 1.
“You’re seeing the start of an incredible career,” Kosinski said of Idris. “He has endless talent; he can do anything—he’s charming, he can be fierce, he can be strong, he can be vulnerable. At the same time, he learned how to drive these cars for real around the track. And he did it all while playing opposite one of the biggest movie stars in the world, and holding his own.”
“‘F1 The Movie’ is everything we love in a movie, and the kind of storytelling we’re proud to champion,” says Matt Dentler, head of features, Apple Original Films. “It’s about an underdog striving for greatness, anchored in emotion and the human spirit, and fueled by visionary filmmakers like Joe, Jerry, Brad, and Lewis bringing it all to life. From the start, we were motivated by the chance to collaborate with this talented creative team and partner with Formula 1, which is committed to premium excellence. Together, we set out to make a movie that has it all — thrilling racing, heart, resilience and, most importantly, humanity.”
Check Out The UB Spotlight + Preview with Damson Idris & Lewis Hamilton!
