Summary

• Brad Pitt's F1 movie has a $300 million budget, facing major financial pressure to exceed previous racing films like "Rush" and "Ford v Ferrari."
• The film's connection with Formula 1 gives it an advantage in realism, featuring Lewis Hamilton to ensure authenticity and appeal to a global F1 fanbase.
• Despite the huge investment, Pitt's movie must overcome the high expectations set by previous racing films to be considered a critical and financial success.

The Formula 1 movie starring Brad Pitt's F1 movie could still be a box office hit if it leans into the popularity of the sport. Formula 1 has a huge global fan base that can help market the film despite it not being associated with any cinematic franchises.

Brad Pitt's F1 Movie is scheduled to be released on June 27, 2025.

Pitt's star power will also help boost the movie's box office, proving that the budget is a calculated risk. While profiting will certainly be a tough task for the film, it isn't the project's biggest challenge. The F1 movie will have to compete with the other great racing films that have come before it, and a decade-old movie will give it a real run for its money. Given the Formula 1 film's biggest selling point is its intimate connection with the sport and realistic depiction, it will have a hard time overcoming an already great F1 project from 2013.

Brad Pitt’s Formula 1 Movie Will Have To Overcome 2013’s Rush

2013's Rush Set The Standard For Formula 1 Movies

Despite how promising Brad Pitt's F1 project looks, it will have a difficult time suring the quality of 2013's Rush. Rush featured Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl starring as real-life Formula 1 drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, bringing the high-octane sport to the big screen. While there were naturally some dramatized elements, Rush is largely based on a true story which provided the realistic feel of Formula 1 racing alongside the entertainment of a Hollywood action film. The thrilling story is among Chris Hemsworth's best movies and the reviews certainly back this up.

Rush has an IMDb score of 8.1, while its Rotten Tomatoes ratings are nearly identical, boasting an 89% critics score and an 88% audience score. With such stellar reviews across the board, Rush has set the standard for Formula 1 movies, creating a lot of expectations for Pitt's project to live up to. If the F1 isn't able to profit, it has to at least be a critical success, but exceeding Rush's reviews will be incredibly challenging. Pitt's film must sur these incredible ratings to be considered a success, making Rush its biggest obstacle.

Brad Pitt’s Ford V Ferrari History Puts Even More Pressure On His $300 Million Movie

Brad Pitt Was Initially Supposed To Star In Ford V Ferrari

Brad Pitt's history with Ford v Ferrari makes it even more crucial that his new F1 movie succeeds. Ford v Ferrari was a smash hit, earning $225.5 million at the box office and receiving even stronger reviews than Rush. Its IMDb score is the same, but it has a 92% Tomatometer rating and a 98% audience score, making it one of the best racing movies of all time. While Christian Bale and Matt Damon played the lead roles, this was initially supposed to be different as Ford v Ferarri's original cast featured Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise.

Bale and Damon did an incredible job which contributed to the film's success, but Pitt missing out on Ford v Ferrari means his new racing film has even more reason to deliver. If it were to flop financially and critically, it would make his lack of involvement in Ford v Ferrari even worse given how well it performed. The heavy investment in Pitt's F1 film puts a massive spotlight on the project, but if it fails in comparison to the movie he was originally supposed to be a part of, it would be a massive blow for the actor.

Pitt’s Movie Has 1 Major Advantage On Recent Racing Films

The Arrangement With Formula 1 Makes Pitt's Movie Even More Realistic Than Its Rivals

Although there are some significant obstacles for Pitt's film to overcome, the Formula 1 movie does have a major advantage over other racing movies. While the likes of Ford v Ferrari, Rush, and other great modern racing films do feature plenty of realism, Pitt's film should excel even more in this aspect. Filming for the movie has already taken place on tracks like Silverstone as well as in the F1 paddock, showing how realistic the project should be. Pitt is also reportedly driving a modified F2 car in the movie to keep things as similar to the sport as possible.

Most encouragingly, seven-time F1 champion, Lewis Hamilton, also has a significant role in the project. According to GQ, Hamilton claimed his role is to keep things as authentic as possible and to "call BS" on anything that wouldn't happen in a Formula 1 race. The F1 world has seemingly embraced the movie by allowing it to film in real locations even during Grand Prix weekends, meaning this can be used to market Pitt's movie. Formula 1 has a massive global following, and catering to these fans as well as a casual audience could make the project a huge success.

Source: GQ