It’s great to be a race fan and cinephile as of late, as racing biopics and new series continue to flood your streams and screens. Films like Rush, and Ford v. Ferrari, along with Netflix’s behind-the-scenes look at the highest echelon of racing, Formula 1, in Drive To Survive, has opened the floodgates to more films, series and documentaries coming to your favorite channels. Now, the latest project expected to grace Hollywood is said to involve seven-time World Champion and Mercedes driver Sir Lewis Hamilton, along with actor Brad Pitt.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the untitled project also has big names attached off-screen such as filmmaker Joseph Kosinski and screenwriter Ehren Kruger, both having worked on the new Top Gun: Maverick, along with its notable producer Jerry Bruckheimer. Bruckheimer is a name you most-likely know for other car enthusiast-loving films like Gone in 60 Seconds(2000), Days of Thunder, and the original Top Gun.
As Hamilton takes to the track in Abu Dhabi this weekend to fight for a potential eighth championship win, Hollywood’s biggest studios and streaming giants are also racing to win the bidding war for this new, unnamed racing title. Those competing include Paramount, MGM and Sony, as well as Netflix, Apple and Amazon. Even Disney, who’s most recent notable “racing” films include the ‘Cars’ franchise and Herbie Fully Loaded, is taking aim to be the home studio for the film.
The real question remains: What will the film be about? While the newest racing biopics have recreated high-stakes and notable scenes from races of yore—taking viewers back to the days of Niki Lauda and James Hunt in the height of their on-track rivalry, or Ford’s 1-2-3 finish at Le Mans (which to this day, I’m still bitter about Ken Miles’ part of that real life story, how it tragically ended and believe he should have gotten that win), but Lewis is as of right now, 36 years of age. And while yes, age doesn’t matter, and he does already have one hell of a career to look back on with knighthood to boot, will this untitled film really be about him?
Other far-reaching ideas could be his battle with Red Bull’s Max Verstappen this 2021 season, coming to a close on Sunday. Or that time he and Nico Rosberg crashed each other out in 2016 … and Rosberg went on to interrupt Lewis’ string of World Championship wins?
I have my theories. But I’d also like to know yours. With Lewis Hamilton and Brad Pitt involved, what Formula 1 tale could take to the screen in the near future? Send me your silver screen pitches and perhaps we can get a meeting with one of the losing studios after this all blows over.
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