EXCLUSIVE:Jerry Bruckheimerand Joseph Kosinski worked together onTop Gun: Maverickand the pair have re-teamed forAppleOriginal FilmsF1.
Real F1 drivers will feature and the picture will, Bruckheimer says, incorporate events from F1 races.
Watch on Deadline
Nothing in F1 is cheap and the film comes with a hefty price tag.
Brad Pitt trackside at Silverstone, UK during the shooting of ‘F1’James Sutton/Getty Images
As the strikes caused a scheduling pit-stop, reports said the budget was swelling to $300 million.
The team, however, dispute both that number and that the strikes meant reshoots were needed.
Kosinski directs from Ehren Krugers script and produces alongside Bruckheimer.
(L-R) Brad Pitt and Damson Idris at the F1 Grand Prix of Great Britain in July 2023Getty
They are in the U.K. to shoot at iconic racetrack Silverstone.
Ahead of the British Grand Prix they sat down with Deadline for an exclusive Q+A.
DEADLINE:Making a movie is complicated.
Formula 1 races are huge logistical undertakings.
What happens when these come together?
The logistics of it are unlike anything Ive done before.
DEADLINE:Seven-time F1 world champ Lewis Hamilton is a producer through hisDawn Apollo Filmsbanner.
Hes also still racing, how involved is he?
KOSINSKI: Hes the first person I contacted three years ago.
Beyond that, on a creative and story level, he also has input.
BRUCKHEIMER:It really starts with Lewis.
Weve met with all the drivers to tell them what we were doing.
We met with just about everybody in Formula 1.
And were doing it again at Silverstone, starting all over again and telling them exactly why were back.
Because of the strike and we couldnt get all the footage.
BRUCKHEIMER: The strike was unfortunate for the industry, but it benefited us in a way.
We only had like four days of work with the actors, and that was at Silverstone.
Joe did all the second unit for the movie.
Its phenomenal to get your first unit director to have his vision.
Now were back at Silverstone with the actors.
DEADLINE:Did the strike delays and disruption mean you needed to factor in reshoots?
BRUCKHEIMER: We never re-shot anything, nothing whatsoever.
Its a misnomer, a rumor that got spread.
We made a smaller unit, cut down our staff and everything to save money.
And then we just carried on to all the different tracks.
We basically finished all the second unit stuff.
DEADLINE:In terms of what the stars are driving, youre using modified Formula 2 cars?
You know, they look right, but they arent real race cars.
Theyre built specifically for this movie.
They also have 15 camera mounts built into them, including the recorders and the batteries and the transmitters.
Theyre made for shooting movies, but they are fundamentally race cars.
DEADLINE:What did Lewis make of the stars when they got into the cars?
BRUCKHEIMER: Before the strike we trained Brad for almost three months Brad and Damson in various cars.
They started in Formula 3 and then moved up to Formula 2.
Lewis says theyre really terrific; theyre just natural, natural athletes.
He was really impressed with them, with their driving.
DEADLINE:Have you used or created new tech or techniques to capture the footage you need?
KOSINSKI: At this level of performance, yes.
Our camera mounts were designed with Mercedes as well.
The cameras are specially designed by Sony.
Its the next generation from what we did onTop Gun.
Were not locked into these kinds of fixed positions we had onTop Gun.
DEADLINE:You embed yourselves at the racetracks and are shooting while races are happening.
How does that ramp up pressure to get the shots you need first time?
KOSINSKI:Last year, at Silverstone, we had a scene we shot on the grid.
Its like a pitstop.
DEADLINE:This is being made for Apple but will be released in Imax and movie theaters.
How important was it to have that theatrical aspect given the spectacle of it all?
Weve always approached it as a theatrical film.
DEADLINE:Jerry, you mentioned the strike and how that affected the filming schedule.
There are reports the budget will hit the $300 million mark are they in the right ballpark?
It all lowers the budget.
DEADLINE:Let me be pushy on this, what can we say in terms of an actual number?
BRUCKHEIMER: We cant give you a number because thats Apples money and they can talk about it.
Im not sure where that number came from.
Were doing the same thing here.
Just think about that; youre fighting with your own teammate for a place on the podium.
And everything we use in the movie actually happened in an F1 race.
Nobody can say: That would never happen.
Its a fun magic trick to pull off, I think people will get a kick out of it.
DEADLINE:Formula 1 drivers are the movie stars of the sports world.
KOSINSKI: Yes, theyre all playing themselves.
Were the eleventh team, were the back of the pack in an incredible field of teams.
We see the drivers on the track and were hoping to see all of them off track as well.
Theyre like movie stars, its the same thing.
Therere so many similarities to our world.
What we have to do is give the audience the emotion.
Were going to make a run at do the same thing here.
