Jerry Bruckheimer and Joseph Kosinski are teaming up on an ambitious project bringing the world of Formula 1 racing to the silver screen, with Brad Pitt and Damson Idris taking center stage as teammates at the fictional APXGP team.
Rumors claimed that the film faced challenges due to strikes that disrupted its production schedule, contributing to a reported budget that ballooned to $300 million. Despite these hurdles, Bruckheimer has adamantly stated that no reshoots were required, people wish the same could be said for the upcoming summer blockbuster Deadpool & Wolverine.
Brad Pitt’s F1 Director Refutes Rumors of Delays or Reshoots
Brad Pitt’s highly anticipated Formula 1 racing movie is gearing up for its debut, promising an exhilarating ride for audiences. Directed by Joseph Kosinski, the film features Pitt in the role of Sonny Hayes, a fresh face in the fictional APXGP team led by Javier Bardem. Joining them are Tobias Menzies, Damson Idris as Joshua Pearce, Sarah Neils, Kim Bodina, and Samson Kayo.
The excitement peaked when the cast and crew were spotted filming scenes at the 2023 British Grand Prix, capturing the essence of high-speed drama on the track. Rumors of delays linked to the US actors’ and writers’ strike, were in the air for quite some time, regarding the project. In an interview with Deadline, producer, Jerry Bruckheimer cleared the air,
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. What we did is, we had a huge second unit set up and a second unit director, but since he couldn’t work, Joe did it.
Joe did all the second unit for the movie. It’s phenomenal to get your first unit director to have his vision. Usually with second unit you’d have to reshoot a lot of stuff, you don’t get exactly what you want. We saved money by not having to reshoot things, because Joe got exactly what he wanted during that period. Now we’re back at Silverstone with the actors.
Bruckheimer clarified that rumors of reshooting and delays were nothing more than rumors, emphasizing that despite challenges, the team operated seamlessly and efficiently. As he stated,
We never re-shot anything, nothing whatsoever. It’s a misnomer, a rumor that got spread. No, once the strike happened, we just focused on the cars, and focused on the driving [with the stunt drivers, not the actors]. 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.
Excitement is building as fans eagerly wait for the release of F1, scheduled to premiere on June 27, 2025.
Deadpool & Wolverine Encountered Numerous Delays During Filming
One major project the strikes affected was Marvel Studios’ Deadpool & Wolverine, which experienced significant delays. After months of interruption, filming for the movie finally concluded in January 2024. Shawn Levy in a conversation with The Associated Press said,
The impact was real. For me as the director, and the producer, the multi-month pause happened right in the middle of filming. All I could do was edit and review the footage. But it taught me about my movie, and it really revealed what was working and what the movie wanted to be.
Levy mentioned that production on Deadpool & Wolverine experienced a significant delay starting in July last year, only picking up again around November.
However, he also claimed that the delay turned out to be beneficial for the team as they improved some of the parts that they felt needed retouching.
The film also underwent extensive reshoots, but surprisingly it was all for an exciting cause. DanielRPK reported that the reshoots primarily meant adding cameos to the film. Overall, Marvel is reportedly pleased with the movie, suggesting that major alterations weren’t actually needed before its release.
Deadpool & Wolverine will be hitting the theaters on 26 July 2024.
