Lewis Hamilton 'Very Involved' in Apple's Brad Pitt Formula 1 Movie From Top Gun 2 Director
"He's like a fighter pilot 12 inches off the ground," says Maverick director Joseph Kosinski.
Record-breaking racing driver Lewis Hamilton is getting into the movie business with Brad Pitt and Apple.
Apple has revealed it's backing a new Formula 1 movie from Brad Pitt, legendary blockbuster producer Jerry Bruckheimer and Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski. And the other big name on the team is F1 legend Lewis Hamilton, who Bruckheimer says is "very involved."
I talked with Kosinski and Bruckheimer in London recently as they did press for Top Gun 2. While they couldn't say much about the as-yet-untitled Formula 1 movie, they described it as "percolating," with Maverick screenwriter Ehren Kruger working up Kosinski's idea.
The film will see Pit play a retired F1 driver getting back onto the track with a hotshot young racer. Unusually, Apple is reported to be giving the film a monthlong theatrical release before releasing it on streaming service Apple TV Plus.
Seven-time Formula 1 champion Hamilton gave the filmmakers the inside track on the sport. "His expertise is phenomenal," said Bruckheimer. "It's just great to listen to him, picking his brain with a writer and Joe on Zoom messages as they pitch the story. It's the same thing as working with our fighter pilots [on Top Gun]."
Kosinski added, "He is like a fighter pilot -- 12 inches off the ground!"
Hamilton became the youngest-ever F1 champion in 2008 and holds the record for the most race wins in the sport. He currently drives for Mercedes.
Formula 1 racing has appeared in movies before, from 1966's Grand Prix with James Garner to Ron Howard's 2013 true-life story Rush. F1 is also having a bit of a moment thanks to the gripping Netflix behind-the-scenes reality series Drive to Survive.
