Hollywood icon Brad Pitt calls it “the most visceral driving experience that’s ever been put on film.”—and it’s finally here. F1 The Movie is now showing in cinemas, delivering high-speed action, big heart, and pure adrenaline on the big screen.
“I Still Don’t Know How We Got Away With It,” Says Brad Pitt
Oscar winner Brad Pitt still sounds amazed when he talks about how he and his team pulled off F1 The Movie. Teaming up with legendary producer Jerry Bruckheimer and visionary director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick), Pitt reveals they did something few believed possible: put real actors in real Formula 1 race cars—and filmed them at full-throttle speeds.
“The forces in these cars – the high-speed corners – the physics of it all want to rip your head from your shoulders. It’s shocking what these cars can do – and it’s a high unlike any high I’ve ever experienced before. We just couldn’t capture it any other way.”
A Comeback Story on the Fastest Stage in the World
In F1 The Movie, Pitt plays Sonny Hayes, once dubbed “the greatest that never was.” A promising Formula 1 star of the 1990s, Sonny’s dream career nearly ended after a devastating accident on the track. Thirty years later, Sonny lives as a nomadic racer-for-hire—until fate, and an old friend, call him back to the sport that once defined him.
That friend? Ruben Cervantes, played by Oscar winner Javier Bardem, owner of a struggling Formula 1 team teetering on collapse. With no other options, Ruben convinces Sonny to return to the high-octane world of F1 for one last shot at redemption—and to help save the team from disappearing entirely.
But Sonny’s not alone on the grid. Enter Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris), the team’s hotshot rookie determined to carve out his own legacy. As engines roar and rivalries heat up, Sonny must confront his past, his fiercest competition—and the idea that in Formula 1, your teammate might just be your biggest threat.
Watch the F1 The Movie Trailer:
For Die-Hard Fans… and Total Newbies Alike
What makes F1 The Movie so gripping? According to Pitt, it strikes a rare balance:
“Threading that needle was the biggest challenge, but I think we’ve done that – made it enlightening enough and understandable for newcomers without dumbing it down for ultra fans. It’s funny, it’s aggressive, it’s driving, and it’s surprisingly heartwarming. I love all these characters. I think this film is so damn entertaining on so many levels.”
The Origins: When Top Gun: Maverick Met Formula 1
The high-speed magic of F1 The Movie started with two things: the global success of Drive to Survive, Netflix’s F1 docuseries, and an unexpected email to a living racing legend.
Director Joseph Kosinski recalls, “I was hooked on Drive to Survive, but what struck me most was the story of the teams fighting at the back of the pack—the underdogs trying just to survive. That’s where I knew there was a film.”
Kosinski also had a connection: Formula 1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, a seven-time world champion and global icon. “I happen to have the email of Lewis Hamilton,” he says. Hamilton, the seven-time world champion, a legendary figure who inspires on the track and off, had briefly considered taking a role in “Top Gun: Maverick.” “I sent an email to Lewis just saying, ‘I want to make a film in this world. I want it to be the most authentic racing film ever. Would you be interested in helping me to do that?’ And he said yes.”
Lewis Hamilton: Driving the Film’s Authenticity
For Hamilton, it was all about keeping it real. “From the beginning, Joe and Jerry talked about how important the authenticity is,” recalls Hamilton, “not only for the new fans that we’ll gain from this movie, but for old fans, like myself, who have grown up with it since we were walking. The focus has been to make sure that it is as authentic a racing movie has ever been.”
With Hamilton’s seal of approval—and guidance—the production team was literally off to the races, embedding themselves into the global F1 circuit to film at actual events, with real cars, at heart-pounding speeds.
Buckle Up—F1 The Movie is Now Showing!
Experience the speed, the heart, and the unfiltered adrenaline of Formula 1 like never before. Feel the roar of the engines, the grit of the track, and the raw human drama behind every lap.
F1 The Movie is now showing in cinemas and distributed in the Philippines by Warner Bros. Pictures PH. Don’t miss the most entertaining, high-speed film event of the year. Check showtimes and buy your tickets here.
Photo & Video Credit: “Warner Bros. Pictures”
