Hola What’s Hot Fam,
Move over, Top Gun: Maverick—there’s a new adrenaline-fueled blockbuster dominating the big screen, and it stars none other than Brad Pitt and Damson Idris. F1: The Movie is raising the stakes on what goes into a race car film. There are 3 fun facts you might not know about this wild ride of a movie.
1. Damson Idris Thought It Was Green Screen. It Was Not.
Let’s start with a shocker: Damson Idris legit thought he’d be sitting pretty in a studio with green screens doing all the work. Not quite.
“When I first met with Joe and Jerry, I asked, ‘So how are you doing this? Green screen, right?’” Idris recalled. Their answer? A deadpan “No. You’re driving the car.”
Cue panic. And training—months of it. Idris and Pitt went through 4-5 months of intense preparation behind the wheels of various race cars before even stepping onto a Grand Prix track. And no, they weren’t just cruising around a parking lot. They were out there—real tracks, real crowds, real speed.
“We had all these cameras strapped to the car, which meant we could barely see anything. Sometimes we were going 180 mph and couldn’t see a thing,” Damson added.
So yeah, if you’re thinking Fast & Furious, think again. This is way more Fast & Fearless.
2. It Was Filmed During Actual F1 Race Weekends
In what might be one of the boldest production choices in recent memory, director Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) decided to shoot this film during real-life F1 weekends. That’s right—while Lewis Hamilton and Max Verstappen were battling it out for pole position, Pitt and Idris were right there on the same tracks with cameras rolling.
Brad Pitt summed it up best: “It’s such a crazy idea… Joe must’ve sat down after Maverick and thought, ‘How do I top this?’ His answer? Make the most visceral, experiential racing movie ever made.”
And somehow… it worked.
3. Brad Pitt Thinks Damson Idris Is Charming (But Maybe a Tad Slow)
Brad Pitt brought a bit of charm and playful shade. When asked about his co-star Damson Idris, Pitt had this to say:
“Damson—he’s so damn charming. I just want to… besides being terribly slow—no, I couldn’t have a better sparring partner.”
Gotta love the legend’s great sense of humor.
F1: The Movie is shaping up to be one of the most immersive racing films ever made. With real cars, real tracks, and stars that did the work (and then some), this one brings the roar of the racetrack straight to viewers