Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer has confirmed he’s already met with Lewis Hamilton to discuss a sequel to F1: The Movie.
The Brad Pitt-led drama, directed by filmmaker Joseph Kosinski, has raced past $629 million worldwide since its June release.
Apple Original Films backed the production, which was shot during real F1 race weekends and featured drivers from the 2023 and 2024 seasons.
Speaking from London, Bruckheimer reflected on why F1 connected with audiences, and what it takes to make an original movie succeed in today’s uncertain theatrical market.
“It’s got to be really good,” he said. “You have a kitchen in your home, but you like to go out to eat.
“Now, you don’t go out to eat at any restaurant. You only go out to restaurants that serve you good food. That’s what we have to do. We got to make really good movies.”
He credited strong writing and emotion as the foundation of any great film.
“It takes so much energy, time, and great writers. The writers are the most important thing in a movie,” he explained.
“Without a great screenplay, you don’t get a great director, a great actor, and you don’t get a green light.”
Bruckheimer added that authenticity and emotion drove F1’s success, much like Top Gun: Maverick.
“When you have brilliant actors and great screenwriting, you have Lewis Hamilton and director Joseph Kosinski, and you can make something that’s authentic.
“It’s what I call a process movie. It takes you inside a world you’ll never be a part of and shows you how it actually works.”
From Top Gun to F1: The Bruckheimer Formula
Across his long career, Bruckheimer has made a name for immersing audiences in the action, from Top Gun to Black Hawk Down and Remember the Titans.
“We did it with CSI for television, and with Top Gun on the big screen, it puts you inside the world of these jet fighter pilots,” he said.
“I did it with Black Hawk Down, which showed you how a military operation is and how these guys suffered through it.”
That same method shaped F1, which follows fictional veteran driver Sonny Hayes (Pitt) as he returns to the grid with the struggling APXGP team, mentoring rookie Joshua Pearce (Damson Idris). The film also stars Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, and Kim Bodnia.
Despite being centered on a sport still growing its American audience, F1 has become the highest-grossing sports film of all time.
“We made a movie that people wanted to see, they saw it and enjoyed it,” Bruckheimer said.
“It’s the number one grossing sports movie ever, it’s Brad Pitt’s highest grossing movie ever, and it’s the highest grossing movie in IMAX this year.”
He also praised Apple’s support for a proper theatrical run. “The movie came out in June. It was still in theaters in September. It doesn’t start streaming until December. That’s the commitment they made to theaters. The people who saw it originally in the theater, I promise you will see it again.”
A sequel in motion
With F1’s success, talk of a sequel was inevitable. Bruckheimer confirmed that early discussions are already happening, again involving seven-time champion Hamilton.
“We met with Lewis Hamilton a couple of weeks ago, and started talking about some ideas,” Bruckheimer revealed.
“We’re in London right now, and we’ve screened the movie twice every night for the last three nights.
“We have the audience in there, and the first question I ask them is, ‘How many of you have not seen this movie?’ 80 percent of the hands go up, and it’s unbelievable. The other 20 percent have seen it several times.”
He added that the film’s broad appeal continues to surprise people.
“People that haven’t seen it say, ‘Oh, it’s not my kind of movie.’ It is your kind of movie. It’s emotional, fun, and it’s a great night out at the theater.”
Bruckheimer said the production’s commitment to realism, backed by F1 and its CEO Stefano Domenicali, was essential to the film’s credibility.
“If you’re going to make a movie about F1, then you had better do it for real, and that’s what Joe and our whole team wanted to do,” he elucidated.
“They spent four months training in these cars, starting with an F4, then an F2, and finally our car.”
The crew filmed at nine different circuits, including Silverstone, which Bruckheimer called his favorite. “It’s the home of F1, and you have to be there to experience it. There are 400,000 people there. They’re in campers, camping out the entire weekend. It’s a huge operation. It’s almost like a Woodstock.”
He recalled the challenges of filming street races like Las Vegas, where Pitt and Idris drove at high speed on tight city circuits. “The scariest thing for me was when Brad and Damson did Las Vegas. Vegas is a street race, so if they miss a turn, they’re into the wall. They were such good drivers… it was amazing.”
Bruckheimer ended by reflecting on F1’s global reach – and what could come next for the sport. “One of the most exciting F1 races is Mexico, because the fans are insane and crazy about it. The only thing F1 needs is an American team. They have an American team, but no American driver, and that’s what will change the sport.”
READ MORE – Why Lewis Hamilton has cautioned against rushing F1 movie sequel
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