Tom Cruise’s impressive (and occasionally scary-looking) stunt work has been well documented at this point. He was taught to fly fighter planes for Top Gun: Maverick, and he actually scaled a plane for that Mission: Impossible – Rogue Nation sequence. His behind-the-scenes exploits are relatively unmatched if I’m being honest about it. However, it looks like Brad Pitt is looking to take a page out of Cruise’s high-octane book for a production. Reports alleged that Pitt is driving an F-1 car for one of his upcoming movies – something that Cruise may not have even done. But before you get too excited, we need to talk over some newly surfaced details.
Brad Pitt is teaming up with filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, who worked with Tom Cruise on Top Gun: Maverick and Oblivion, for a Formula 1 movie. Production on the film – which is produced by Jerry Bruckheimer – will occur amid the race weekends at the British Grand Prix in July. At that time, Pitt will suit up to drive a real vehicle, yet it would seem that initial reports of him getting behind the wheel of an F-1 weren’t totally accurate.
It would seem that the Oscar winner is actually set to operate a mock-up of such a vehicle. As explained by Polygon, he’ll likely man a junior F-2 or F-3 model, which would be a lot more manageable for some who’s not actually a professional driver. If he were to man an F-1, it could have some pretty serious side effects, specifically the G-forces that one can endure amid the process. It should also be noted that the Benjamin Button alum won’t be driving alongside real racers, either. It’s true that Tom Cruise experienced the forces while working with F-18s in preparation for Maverick, yet he didn’t try to fly the plane himself.
This new racing movie from Brad Pitt and Joseph Kosinski was announced in the summer of 2022, and is expected to be released on Apple TV+. The movie centers on a veteran racer who comes out of retirement to team up with a rookie and go head to head with some of the sport’s best. This seems like a role that’s perfect for Pitt, and I’m curious to see how he plans to play the character. Of course, one still has to wonder whether viewers will buy him in such a capacity, especially those who are racing fans.
Interestingly enough, the A-lister found himself in hot water with Formula 1 fans last fall. Brad Pitt attended the U.S. Grand Prix in Austin, Texas, where former racer Martin Brundle was also present. Video footage appeared to show Pitt avoiding Brundle during the event, and that’s what rubbed aficionados the wrong way. Now, something like this won’t exactly make people flat-out reject the actor’s role and his upcoming movie as a whole. Though at the very least, it exemplifies the passion they have and could indicate that he’ll have to put in some serious effort to impress them.
As the Bullet Train alum prepares to rev up that engine, Tom Cruise is looking towards the release of Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which is set to release in July. He’ll give fans some serious thrills when he reprises his role as Ethan Hunt. For the movie, he jumped off a cliff with a motorcycle, and a recently released image shows him fighting on top of a train. So yeah… this is going to be intense.
Brad Pitt may not be going that far for his Formula 1 movie, but it’s still impressive that he’s actually planning to drive some sort of race car for the project. And with Joseph Kosinski behind the camera, the cinematic endeavor should be in good hands. Buckle up, folks, because this could be a spectacle for the books.
While you wait for more information on the movie, you can gear up for Mission: Impossible – Dead Reckoning Part One, which opens on July 12 as part of the schedule of 2023 new movie releases.
