Film producers behind 'Top Gun: Maverick' venture into Formula One, collaborating with Brad Pitt and racing legend Lewis Hamilton.
Ready to rev up the engines and dive into the making of "F1"? That's right, we're talking about the highly anticipated, adrenaline-fueled movie featuring none other than Brad Pitt!
Now, let's get this Motor City engine rumbling—Joseph Kosinski, the man behind "Top Gun: Maverick," came across Formula One like any red-blooded American: he tuned into Netflix's smash hit "Drive to Survive."
Caught up in the drama and competition that defines this jaw-dropping sport, Kosinski saw the potential for a cinematic event that would leave viewers breathless. "I don't think there's any other sport quite like it," he said, "it's ripe for drama."
The world of cars and racing has always been a silver screen staple, and Formula One's popularity has surged in recent years. So, it made perfect sense to give it the "Top Gun" treatment. But, it wasn't an instant green light.
It took nearly four years for Hollywood to give the go-ahead, requiring a herculean effort from the team. Their ambitious plan involved unparalleled collaboration with the league, groundbreaking innovations in camera technology, and allowing a cinematic legend like Brad Pitt to tear up the track at breakneck speeds.
Luckily, Hollywood proved to be a tad easier to convince than the racing world. The project quickly gained traction with the addition of Brad Pitt as the lead and a production deal with Apple. Then it was time to face the Formula One League.
Enter, Jerry Bruckheimer. As he put it, "When you come in, the first thing they think is you're going to make them look bad." He'd been through this before, during the initial meetings for "Top Gun."
Concerns were raised. There were worries about accidents, the villain, and seemingly everything that could go wrong. However, the filmmakers cleverly rebuffed such fears, assuring the league that this story wasn't built on the usual villain trope. Instead, it pitted two drivers against each other—a rookie and a seasoned pro, with the older driver trying to bring out the best in the younger one.
It took almost a year to win over the league, and then the individual teams also needed to be sold on the idea. However, once everyone was on board, it was a whirlwind of excitement and collaboration.
"The amount of, let's say, conversations not related to the actual filmmaking has been massive just from a coordination point of view," Kosinski admitted. "But there's no way we could have made this movie without that partnership with Formula One."
The filmmakers were granted unprecedented access to the world of Formula One, including building a garage at the Grand Prix for their fictional team. They were even allowed to drive on the track during Grand Prix weekends, putting their Formula One cars alongside the movie's cars, complete with Pitt and Damson Idris standing for the national anthem in both Silverstone and Abu Dhabi.
"It was full-on integration of these two worlds coming together," Kosinski said. "There's no way the film could have happened or look like it does without that partnership."
Behind the scenes, filmmakers and engineers worked tirelessly to recreate the experience of driving a Formula One car for the audience. Seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton, who was deeply involved in the film from the beginning, marveled at the authenticity of the racing scenes and appreciated the use of tiny, IMAX-quality cameras attached to the cars.
"These Formula One cars, they deal in grams," Kosinski explained. "We had to figure out how to get tiny cameras that were IMAX quality onto one of these cars," he continued, describing the engineering challenges they faced.
The final result? Authentic, heart-pounding racing sequences that will make you feel like you're behind the wheel. "Every time you see Brad or Damson's face, they're really driving that car," Kosinski said proudly.
- The tech-savvy Joseph Kosinski, known for 'Top Gun: Maverick', was enthralled by Formula One after watching Netflix's 'Drive to Survive'.
- Kosinski recognized the sport's potential for a blockbuster movie, stating, "I don't think there's any other sport quite like it—it's ripe for drama."
- The path to bring 'F1' to the world of entertainment was arduous, with nearly four years passing before Hollywood gave the green light.
- With the project nearing reality, the filmmakers had to convince the Formula One League, employing Jerry Bruckheimer to assuage their concerns about the film's content.
- The film, featuring tech innovations in camera technology and Brad Pitt's gripping performance, showcases nearly breathless racing scenes reminiscent of world-class sports entertainment.
- To capture race car driving realism, the filmmakers facing engineering challenges used IMAX-quality cameras weighing mere grams, reflecting the minutiae of national technology in the making of "F1".
