Just before "F1: The Movie" roared into theaters last week, an intriguing tidbit emerged: Brad Pitt was initially slated to costar in a high-octane racing film alongside Tom Cruise, a pairing as exhilarating as it was unexpected. During a Wednesday interview with The National, Pitt unveiled his heartfelt desire to once again share the screen with his "Interview with the Vampire" costar. He recounted how he was meant to race alongside Cruise in "Ford v Ferrari," but fate had other plans as Cruise realized his character wouldn't be behind the wheel much.
"Tom and I, for a spell, were set to tear up the track in 'Ford v Ferrari' under Joe's directorial vision," Pitt reminisced. "This was a decade before the actual filmmakers brought it to life—and crafted a masterpiece." He further elaborated, "Our shared aspiration was to drive. Tom yearned to portray Shelby, while I渴望 to embody Ken Miles. But when Tom discovered that Carroll Shelby wouldn't be doing much driving in the film, it just didn't gel."
Ultimately, Christian Bale and Matt Damon stepped into the roles of Ken Miles and Carroll Shelby, respectively, under James Mangold's adept direction. Pitt also weighed in on whispers about a potential "F1" sequel, confessing, "Selfishly, I'd love to get behind the wheel again." Nonetheless, his character, Sonny Hayes, bows out of Formula One racing by the narrative's conclusion. He did express enthusiasm for potentially collaborating on a sequel to Cruise's 1990 NASCAR flick, "Days of Thunder," which, according to an exclusive from The Hollywood Reporter last year, Cruise was contemplating.
"The focus remains firmly on F1, specifically Joshua Pierce—Damson Idris' character—and the rest of the team's quest for glory," Pitt pondered. "Where does Sonny fit in? I'm uncertain. Perhaps he's out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting new speed records or something akin to that. So, for now, I'm not entirely sure what lies ahead."
