Summary

Collider’s Michael Zimmermann talks with producer Jerry Bruckheimer for F1: The Movie.

Bruckheimer discusses how having access to real F1 locations was crucial for a realistic movie experience and how Formula One driver Lewis Hamilton directly influenced the film and provided detailed insight.

He also teases that Pirates of the Caribbean 6 is in the works and a CSI franchise reinvention may be on the horizon.

F1: The Movie is now back in IMAX theaters worldwide! The summer blockbuster starring starring Brad Pitt, Javier Bardem, and Damson Idriswill be shown on the biggest screens starting on August 15. F1 takes you inside the world of Formula One, where only 20 people in the world have the skill to drive at the elite level, and even teammates are opponents. The film marks the second time director Joseph Kosinski and producer Jerry Bruckheimer have collaborated. The first being on the highest-grossing film in 2022, Top Gun: Maverick. The box office hit is Pitt’s highest-grossing film of his career, crossing the $550 million mark. From Pitt and Idris learning how to drive at 180 mph, real racetracks and precisely designed garages, F1 gives the audience a real-life experience of the daily speed, pressure and emotion of the intense sport. In an exclusive interview with Collider, Bruckheimer reveals how legendary F1 driver Lewis Hamilton influenced a plot point in F1 The Movie, how Top Gun: Maverick helped greenlight F1, and updates on the popular franchises Pirates of the Caribbean and CSI.
How ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ Helped Greenlight ‘F1: The Movie’

“We had a reel from Top Gun: Maverick and how we did the planes”

COLLIDER: This film is not only accurate, but it’s an experience and a look into the real world of F1. The partnership that you had with Formula One during this film, with all the access you were given, why was that so important to have that in order to make this as real as possible? JERRY BRUCKHEIMER: I think the only way we were going to make the movie, and Apple wanted to make the movie this way, is to be on the real racetracks. In other words, we had to make a deal with F1, the governing body. We had to go through all ten teams, all 20 drivers. We showed them how we were going to make the movie. We had a reel from Top Gun: Maverick and how we did the planes, and then we showed them how we’d insert our car into their races. Do you see, potentially, more stories told within the F1 world? BRUCKHEIMER: Absolutely. There’s so much drama that goes on in this world. Just life itself. Any sport where your teammate is your competitor it’s for a drama. And the competition between these teams is fierce. There are only 20 people in the world who can drive these cars. Think about that. It took Brad and Damson four months to drive an F2 car with an F1 body. But even our F2 car went 180 mph, so they go to 220 mph, the F1 cars.
This F1 Legend Added a Storyline to the Film

“He was always involved in any rewrites or anything that we did”

I know Joe has that existing relationship with Lewis [Hamilton], and there were a lot of conversations with him prior to filming with the script, the story and just the visual look, but did you ever consult Lewis during filming or in the editing process to keep making sure things were accurate? BRUCKHEIMER: All of the above. When we were on race day, we’d bring him into our garage and show him stuff that was either cut before or what we’re shooting, and he was always involved in any rewrites or anything that we did. He was involved in every step of the way. It got down to a point where he said, ‘Well, at Silverstone you’re going to turn five, you’re in second gear, you’re not in fourth gear.’ That’s how detailed he got into everything. And he said, ‘Well, on that turn, if you try to pass, you’ll crash.’ And we used it. What are some things that the audience will be able to experience and see in IMAX versus just a standard viewing? BRUCKHEIMER: Well, I think standard viewing is fantastic. But IMAX, the sound is monstrous, the picture is bigger. You see more of the movie because it’s a larger format. But if you really want a great experience, you want to hear the sound and the explosiveness of these cars. And Joe spent months mixing the sound, and ran it by Lewis and some of the other principals in F1 to make sure we got everything right.
Jerry Bruckheimer Shares Updates on ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and ‘CSI’

“We’re going to get it made.”

Carina, Jack and Henry stand with a gun and a sword pointed at them in Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales.
Image via Walt Disney Studios Motion Pictures

I know there are a few scripts in the works for the sixth Pirates of the Caribbean film. What’s the latest with that? BRUCKHEIMER: We are continuing to work on the script. We’re not quite there yet, but we’re going to get it made. The last we saw from CSI was in 2024 with CSI: Vegas. Is there anything that’s going to keep the franchise going? Maybe a spin-off? Any talks? BRUCKHEIMER: Not at this point, but I’m sure they’ll always come back to it. It’s such a great franchise, and we just have to reinvent it another way, that’s all. To which, hopefully, we’ll do. F1 is in theaters now.

F1

Release Date

June 27, 2025

Runtime

156 Minutes

Director

Joseph Kosinski