Brad Pitt's F1 movie: plot, cast, and producer's defiant statement over budget

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    Brad Pitt is gearing up for the ride of a lifetime. Cast in , the A-lister has been busy shooting scenes for the highly-anticipated racing film, which is slated for release in 2025. 

    Co-produced by Formula 1 legend Lewis Hamilton and producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, the upcoming flick has been years in the making. Back in 2023, Brad headed to the British Grand Prix to film scenes, and more recently, he spent his Fourth of July working at the Silverstone Circuit in Northampton. 

    So, what do we know about F1? From the plot to the cast, keep reading for all the details – plus the trailer. 

    F1 – trailer

    What is the movie about?

    In an interview with Sky Sport, leading man Brad dished on the plot. According to the star, he'll play Sonny Hayes – a former driver who returns to the world of Formula 1 alongside Damson Idris, his teammate on the fictional APXGP team. 

    According to producer Jerry Bruckheimer, the movie will feature real-life F1 drivers and events from the racing world too. 

    When will F1 premiere?

    F1 will debut internationally on June 25, 2025, and in North America on June 27, 2025. 

    Read more

    Meet the cast of F1 

    Brad will lead a stellar cast that also includes Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Javier Bardem, Tobias Menzies, Sarah Niles, Kim Bodnia and Samson Kayo. 

    Little is known about the individual characters, although it's been revealed that Damson Idris will appear as Brad's F1 teammate, while Javier Bardem will portray the team principal. 

    As for the director, Joseph Kosinski is taking the helm on this one. Boasting an impressive list of credits, the filmmaker has also directed (2010), (2013), (2017) and (2022). 

    Speaking to Deadline, Joseph opened up about the complexities of shooting the film. "We've got Brad and Damson actually driving the cars, which is pretty spectacular in itself, but to do that in front of a live audience and at the speeds they're doing it and figuring out a way to capture it…The logistics of it are unlike anything I've done before," he said. 

    "We're shooting at the actual Grands Prix, there are certain aspects of this film where we're working in very, very tight windows, shooting on the track, between practice and qualifying sessions, in front of hundreds of thousands of people."

    Joseph added that producer Lewis Hamilton has been "invaluable" to the cast and crew. "He's the first person I contacted three years ago. I knew for us to make it as authentic as possible, someone on the team who lives it day-in and day-out would be invaluable.

    "Lewis has been an incredible partner; he jumps on Zooms with me between races to go through the script, line by line, turn by turn, you know, tire compound by tire compound, to make sure that we are getting all the details right. Beyond that, on a creative and story level, he also has input." 

    What is the budget for F1?

    Following the SAG-AFTRA strikes in 2023, it was widely reported that the budget for F1 had ballooned to $300 million but according to producer, Jerry Bruckheimer, this isn't the case. 

    "It's completely, unfortunately, tens of millions of dollars out of whack in the wrong direction, and in the right direction for us," he told Deadline. "What people don't realize is, first of all, we're shooting in rebate [locations], England has a big rebate, lots of Europe has rebates and so does Abu Dhabi. It all lowers the budget. 

    "Plus, we've raised more money for our car [through sponsorship] than some Formula 1 teams. You take that all into consideration and it really drops that number quite a bit lower than what people would think."

    Asked what the actual budget is, Jerry explained that as it's "Apple's money" he was unable to give a number, the producer noted that it was lower than fans might think. 

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