Brad Pitt has described his latest project, F1, as "an audacious idea" as the high-octane racing drama made its debut at a packed premiere in New York's Times Square.
The film sees Pitt take on the role of a retired driver who returns to the track to help save his friend's struggling Formula One team, while mentoring a young prodigy played by Damson Idris.
Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and produced by Jerry Bruckheimer, F1 blends scripted drama with real-life racing, including scenes shot during actual Grand Prix events in Abu Dhabi, Mexico City and more. Pitt and Idris did much of the driving themselves, embedded within the real F1 season.
"I can't believe that after all this time, I find something like this. It was just this audacious idea of Joe Kosinski to put us on the track and embed us in the F1 racing season. F1 opened the doors for us and we have this to show for it," said Pitt.
British F1 star Lewis Hamilton, who served as a producer on the film, worked closely with the team to ensure it felt authentic.
"He said he wants to bring a very authentic side of Formula One," said F1 star Lando Norris of Hamilton.
"Give the outside people who don't know so much about Formula One a very generalised overview of what it takes - what it takes personally as an individual and also what it takes as a team, which I think is the most important part of it... and I think he did exactly that."
Irish actress Kerry Condon, who also stars in the film, said she was drawn to the subtle depth of her character. "It was great to play somebody who was really intelligent, but wasn't like one-note intelligent. She was kind of shy in her, you know, when it came to things, like romantic things," she said.
For Idris, the experience was unforgettable. "These are things that people look back on throughout, hopefully, a long prosperous career," he said. "And they say, 'You know, I remember when I worked with Brad Pitt, I remember I worked with Javier Bardem, Joe Kosinski, Jerry Bruckheimer, Kerry Condon.'"
Director Kosinski revealed the scale of the production, noting that over 5,000 hours of had been cut down to just two and a half. "You're going to get the absolute best shots we had, I promise you."
Source: Reuters
