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Lewis Hamilton: F1 film with Brad Pitt will show the sport at its spectacular best
Racing Movies
Lewis Hamilton is working on the script of his F1 film with Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski, and said he's attempting to avoid the pitfalls of previous racing movies as he outlined more details of the project
LAT via Mercedes
Lewis Hamilton has said that the Formula 1 film he’s producing with Brad Pitt will right the wrongs of previous racing movies and show the “real heritage and the true spirit” of the sport.
The seven-time world champion is assisting with the script but won’t appear in the film which he said needs “good actors” among a diverse cast and crew, headed by Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski.
“It’s a really cool project,” he said ahead of the Azerbaijan Grand Prix. “I can’t necessarily say that all the racing movies in the past have been spectacular, and that’s something we want to change.
“It’s really about showing how great the sport really is to people that maybe have never watched it, but also making sure that we really keep the real heritage and the true racing spirit within in the movie within the script.
“I’m very much involved in the script which is fun and spending good time with Brad which is pretty epic — seeing his progress.”
The film has been rumoured for several months but confirmation emerged earlier this week when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Apple had clinched a deal to acquire the project, which includes a novel 50-50 split of the box office takings between the technology company and the filmmakers.
Kosinski is joined by fellow Top Gun veterans, including producer Jerry Bruckheimer and writer Ehren Kruger. Hamilton is said to have come on board after meeting Tom Cruise during filming of Maverick and being subsequently introduced to Bruckheimer.
Not all previous racing films have been spectacular, said Hamilton
AFP via Getty Images
Asked if there could be roles for him or his fellow drivers, Hamilton said that while real-world racers are unlikely to be starring on the screen, they could take a behind-the-scenes role.
“I don’t plan to be in it,” he said. “It’s not my movie: it’s Formula 1 so it’s for all of us. There are lots of people within the sport who are being a part of this, helping educate those who are trying to create this movie.
“There’s already talk of how we are going to capture some of the footage and it’s going to take us drivers to be involved in that. But we’re not actors; we don’t want this movie to be crap. There’s nothing worse than putting bad actors in, which is probably why I’m not gonna be a part of it. It needs some good actors.”
Hamilton added he would be ensuring a diverse mix of staff on the film. “For my responsibility, something that I take on, is just making sure that the cast and the crew in the background is diverse. It’s something I really highlighted at the beginning.”