Hollywood icon Brad Pitt recently disclosed that he and fellow superstar Tom Cruise were originally attached to star in an earlier version of Ford v Ferrari.
However, both actors eventually walked away from the project due to creative differences, particularly regarding their desired roles and screen time behind the wheel.
In an interview with The National, the 61-year-old actor shared that Cruise was interested in playing legendary car designer Carroll Shelby, while Pitt wanted to portray British racing driver Ken Miles. The project, which was in development over a decade ago with director Joseph Kosinski, ultimately didn’t move forward with the two stars.
Pitt revealed that Cruise lost interest after realizing Shelby’s role in the story involved minimal driving. “What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive,” Pitt explained. “Tom wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles. And when Tom realised that Carroll Shelby wouldn’t be driving much, it didn’t come through.”
Eventually, the acclaimed 2019 version of Ford v Ferrari was directed by James Mangold, with Matt Damon as Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles. The film received critical acclaim and multiple Academy Award nominations.
Pitt also addressed speculation about a potential sequel to F1, in which he stars as fictional Formula One driver Sonny Hayes. Although his character exits the racing world by the end of the film, Pitt hinted at the possibility of returning to the driver’s seat, saying he would be open to driving again in the future.
When asked about collaborating with Cruise once more, Pitt expressed interest in working together again, especially on a sequel to Cruise’s 1990 racing film Days of Thunder. Their only previous on-screen pairing was in the 1994 film Interview with the Vampire, and fans have long hoped for a reunion of the two megastars.
While Pitt and Cruise may have missed the chance to headline Ford v Ferrari, their interest in high-octane roles shows that a future racing collaboration isn’t entirely off the table.