'F1': What CinemaCon footage tells us about Brad Pitt's Sonny
What's the story
The much-awaited racing drama F1, starring Hollywood star Brad Pitt, debuted its first 10 minutes at CinemaCon.
Director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer presented the movie, which they believed would be "the cinematic event of the summer."
Kosinski and Bruckheimer are no strangers to blockbusters, having previously teamed up for the 2022 billion-dollar success Top Gun: Maverick.
Here's what got us excited.
Film preview
Pitt's character goes from career high to retirement to comeback
In F1, Pitt plays a middle-aged Formula One racer, Sonny Hayes.
The film begins with a high-octane Daytona race, with Hayes performing hair-raising stunts to stay ahead of the pack.
Despite winning Daytona, Hayes's character craves an off-the-grid life.
One day, he's approached by a team owner (Javier Bardem) with a unique task—to mentor a younger driver for an upcoming Grand Prix.
Pitt's character is delighted, as he mentions, "New day, new challenge."
Know more
Was Sonny a real F1 racer?
Although the stunts and the pulsating narrative might seem real, the story of Sonny is not.
Pitt merely plays a fictional character, along with a fictional student, Joshua "Noah" Pearce, and a fictional team.
As far as the plot is concerned, Sonny was a successful F1 racer during the 1990s who had to hang up his helmet after a near-fatal crash. He returns to the motorsport to train Pearce.
Behind the scenes
'F1' production and distribution details revealed
F1 has the backing of Apple and is being distributed by Warner Bros. With a reported $300 million budget, the film is a huge investment for Apple as it makes its foray into the theatrical space.
It also has seven-time champion Lewis Hamilton as a producer and features appearances from a handful of F1 drivers, including Max Verstappen, Sergio Perez, George Russell, and Charles Leclerc.
Realism
Pitt's commitment to authenticity in 'F1'
Pitt's commitment to realism is further highlighted by his insane driving stunts, which he performed at 290km/h in F1.
Notably, the film was shot as the Grand Prix races unfolded around the world, from Abu Dhabi to Silverstone to the Vegas Strip.
Bruckheimer revealed, "We shot this film during real Grand Prix races all across the globe, from Abu Dhabi to Silverstone, including right here on the Vegas Strip."
F1 has locked June 27, 2025, as its release date.