(Left) Austin Butler stars in ‘Elvis.’ (Right) Don Johnson in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Austin Butler is in early talks for the new ‘Miami Vice’ movie.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
If he does sign on, Butler would join Michael B. Jordan in the film.
Well, we were at least close with our guess.
Some context: you might recall that recently we brought word that Michael B. Jordan was in early talks to play Detective Ricardo Tubbs in ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski’s planned new movie based on iconic cop series ‘Miami Vice’.
We speculated then that Glen Powell might take on the role of fellow cop Sonny Crockett, but it appears Kosinski is looking to hire a different young rising star.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
(Left) Michael B. Jordan directs and stars as Adonis Creed in ‘Creed III.’ (Right) Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Michael B. Jordan is in early talks for the new ‘Miami Vice’ movie.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
Universal is behind the new effort.
It may not be at sweltering Miami city levels just yet, but ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski’s development of a new movie based on cult detective series ‘Miami Vice’ is certainly heating up.
Kosinski will be working from a script written by Eric Warren Singer and Dan Gilroy, and assuming Jordan’s deal comes together (he’s reportedly very interested), the search will intensify for someone to play Tubbs’ partner Sonny Crockett.
Our guess? Glen Powell. But let’s see where things land.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Crockett and Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
What else is Michael B. Jordan working on?
Michael B. Jordan announces ‘Creed’ spin-off ‘Delphi’ at the Amazon Upfront on May 13th, 2025. Photo: Slaven Vlasic/Getty Images for Amazon
Part of the reason for Jordan’s deal not yet being closed is scheduling; the actor is busy directing and starring in his own new version of an older property –– ‘The Thomas Crown Affair.’
He’ll need time to finish editing that movie before he can truly commit to ‘Miami Vice.’
When will the new ‘Miami Vice’ be on our screens?
The movie is currently dated for August 6, 2027.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
(Left) Director-Producer Joseph Kosinski attends a Press Conference in Mexico City on June 10th, 2025 for Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films ‘F1’. Photo Credit: Chino Lemus. Copyright: Chino Lemus 2022. (Right) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
Universal has dated the new ‘Miami Vice’ for 2027.
Joseph Kosinski is directing.
No casting has been announced yet.
First there was ‘Miami Vice’, the iconic 1980s detective drama. In 2006, Michael Mann brought us Movie Vice (okay, it was still just called ‘Miami Vice’ on the big screen, but go with us here).
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And, back in April, word landed that ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and ‘F1’ director Joseph Kosinski was going to take his own crack at the concept for Universal.
It would appear that the success of ‘F1’ ($624 million worldwide so far on an admittedly hefty budget) has spurred the studio to truly commit to Kosinski’s version, with the company handing down a 2027 release slot.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
Jerry Bruckheimer says he’s developing a sequel to 1995 submarine thriller ‘Crimson Tide’.
Denzel Washington and Gene Hackman starred in the original.
A writer and director are involved in the new potential project.
Having seen big success wrangling a sequel to one of his previous hits via ‘Top Gun Maverick,’ producer Jerry Bruckheimer is looking to do it again.
Talking on a recent episode of ‘The Rich Eisen Show,’ Bruckheimer revealed that he was in the early stages of developing a follow-up to 1995 submarine thriller ‘Crimson Tide.’
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While the new project is still very much in its infancy, Bruckheimer did say that a writer and director –– who he did not name –– were already having discussions with the Navy as to the current state of undersea warfare, as a new scenario will be needed for this movie.
In the near future, Russian rebels have seized control of one of the ICBM bases in the USSR. Alarmed by the prospect of a rebel strike, the U.S. sends the USS Alabama, a nuclear ballistic missile submarine, to watch over the base and retaliate in case they launch.
While on patrol, the submarine is attacked and the radio systems are knocked out, but after first receiving an emergency message from HQ to launch nuclear missiles at the rebels. A second emergency message received during the battle is only partially recovered.
Captain Ramsey (Gene Hackman) decides to carry out the first order to launch the missiles regardless while Executive Officer Hunter (Denzel Washington) wants to wait for a successful receipt of the second message once the radio systems are repaired. The conflict escalates into mutiny as Ramsey and Hunter fight for control of the Alabama’s nuclear missiles.
But it was perhaps more famous for the people behind the keyboard for the script; while Michael Schiffer’s name is on the screenplay, with Richard P. Henrick credited for the story, there was an extensive list of writers who did passes, including Robert Towne and Quentin Tarantino.
According to Bruckheimer, the hope is to entice Washington to return (Hackman retired years ago and died in February of this year).
Here’s what he said about the possibility:
“If we give him a good script, I think he’d do it.”
Variety reached out to a source close to Washington, who brought word that the actor would consider the idea, but is certainly waiting to see any screenplay.
As to who is at work on the concepts for the new movie, Bruckheimer declined to name them.
There are no details, plot or otherwise, about this sequel, so we can only speculate what it might focus on. The technology behind nuclear submarines has moved on considerably from the days of the original, and yet the basics remain.
A nuclear submarine was a key plot point in the last two ‘Mission: Impossible’ movies, and the concept of technology aboard such a vessel could well play into the new one.
And it’s worth noting that Disney, which has the rights to ‘Crimson Tide’, has yet to comment on the possibility of any sequel –– but given Bruckheimer’s long working relationship with the studio, he certainly has leeway to say what he likes about future projects.
Here’s what Bruckheimer told Eisen about a potential return for Cruise’s Pete “Maverick” Mitchell:
“I can’t talk about [the story] yet, but it’s a real good one.”
What else is Denzel Washington working on?
Denzel Washington attends Netflix’s ‘The Piano Lesson’ LA premiere at The Egyptian Theatre Hollywood on November 19, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. Photo: Roger Kisby/Getty Images for Netflix.
Though he has been making statements about retiring, at least from acting, he’s still keeping busy.
This is what he said about potentially stepping back from being on screen:
“There are very few films left for me to make that I’m interested in, and I have to be inspired by the filmmaker. The things that are going on for me professionally behind the camera are as important to me now as in front of the camera. I think there’s less and less time I’ll be spending in front of the camera.”
He’s preparing to work on crime drama ‘Here Comes the Flood,’ and he’s talked up a potential role in the planned third ‘Black Panther’ movie, which director Ryan Coogler has confirmed could happen, and he has other possible roles coming up, including a project about the historical warrior Hannibal.
And even if he does decide that his days as an actor are numbered, he’ll likely to continue to produce and direct movies.
When might the ‘Crimson Tide’ sequel be on screens?
With the script not even written yet and no other details offered, we don’t expect this one to come together for a while yet.
If Denzel Washington does sign on to star, that’ll have this one moving a little faster and encourage the studio financiers to turn their keys and release the funds for this one to be made.
(L to R) Damson Idris, Kerry Condon and Javier Bardem star in ‘F1 The Movie’.
Moviefone recently had the pleasure of sitting down in-person with Javier Bardem, Kerry Condon and Damson Idris to talk about their work on ‘F1 The Movie’. Condon and Bardem discussed how they approached their characters and filming during real Formula One races, while Idris talked about preparing for the intense driving sequences.
You can read the full interview below or click on the video player above to watch our interviews with Bardem, Condon and Idris, as well as director Joseph Kosinski, and producer Jerry Bruckheimer.
Moviefone: To begin with, Kerry, can you talk about your approach to playing Kate and was this a fun character for you to portray?
Kerry Condon: Yeah, it was of course, because it was a super intelligent character that wasn’t one note. It wasn’t like, “This is the intelligent, nerdy character.” It was like there was lots of different flavors to her that made her more of a real person. I was really encouraged to go with my instinct and bring a lot of my own personality and to have fun too, which was wild to be encouraged to have fun on such a high-pressure job. I was encouraged to enjoy it.
MF: Javier, how did you approach playing your character and can you talk about his relationship with Sonny Hayes?
Javier Bardem: For me, it was more about the relationship, the love relationship of a friendship with Brad’s character and how much they respect each other, need each other, and despise each other when they’re not in the same page. It was about creating that relationship and bringing it to the screen, for us to understand that at the end of the day, you really must sacrifice yourself to make the team win. All the personal things must be forgotten to make it more about the team.
MF: Damson, I understand you did your own driving in this film, what was that experience like and how did that help your performance?
Damson Idris: That was the first thing I asked when I first met with Joe (Kosinski) and Jerry (Bruckheimer), I said, “When you guys did ‘Top Gun’, the actors were in the planes for real, right?” They’re like, “Yeah.” “Are we going to be driving the cars for real?” “Yeah.” I was like, “Oh,” and I put on my poker face. I was like, “I could do that easy,” but growing up I always loved fast cars, so getting in the cars and going through these corners, I knew it was going to be just the most fun. We trained for four months every single day so we could look real on screen. Yeah, it was the best experience. Going from track to track, I don’t think anyone’s ever going to be able to experience what I have. No actor, anyway.
MF: Finally, Javier, when you shot the racing scenes, they were at real races in front of real Formula One fans. What was that experience like for you performing in front of all those people?
JB: I remember Silverstone, it was the first day of shooting for me, and Joe and Brad were with the drivers and the planes flying overhead and then the camera will follow them through the whole crowd. We have a conversation, Brad and I in front of thousands of people. That’s a different kind of energy, like a theater play, but seen by thousands of people at the same time. That puts you in a place of really a lot of adrenaline.
Editorial Note: Krisily Fernstrom conducted this interview and contributed to this article.
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What is the plot of ‘F1”?
Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).
Miles Teller has boarded new drama ‘Winter Games.’
Paul Downs Colaizzo co-wrote and will direct the movie.
It’s set at the Winter Olympics.
Movies set around the world of athletes, particularly those competing in the heady high levels of the Olympics, have always been a reliable audience-grabber, and the genre has been wide enough to encompass a whole range of categories, including the rom-com likes of ‘The Cutting Edge,’ the full-on comedy of ‘Blades of Glory’ and the noble true-story examples such as ‘Miracle’ and the more recent ‘The Boys in the Boat.’
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Paramount is clearly hoping to take advantage of this sort of movie, and is getting back in business with one of its reliable performers.
Miles Teller, who appeared in the company’s mammoth movie hit ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and led its small-screen Paramount+ streaming hit ‘The Offer,’ is now aboard to produce and star in a new sports-themed movie called ‘Winter Games.’
The new film, per Deadline, comes courtesy of director Paul Downs Colaizzo, who co-wrote the script and will call the shots.
The movie is set in the high-stakes arena of the Winter Olympic Games, following a perpetually overlooked skier and a self-sabotaging hockey legend who collide at their breaking points. Their unexpected connection threatens her chance for a medal and his shot at a comeback as they navigate romance and redemption in the Olympic Village.
We don’t yet know who will star alongside Teller.
Colaizzo co-wrote the script with Pat Cunnane, who recently worked on the script for ‘Eternity,’ a new drama starring and produced by Teller (more on that below).
And it’s also a reunion for the actor and producers Tim and Trevor White, whose Star Thrower company helped shepherd ‘Eternity’ and will do the same for ‘Winter Games.’
What else is Miles Teller attached to?
Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
It’s the story of how, after death, everybody gets one week to choose where to spend eternity. But for main characters Joan, Larry, and Luke, it’s really a question of who to spend it with.
While the movie doesn’t have a set release date in place yet, it’s already drawing potential awards buzz.
Then there is ‘Michael,’ the musical biopic of superstar Michael Jackson, in which Teller plays John Branca, Jackson’s manager, lawyer and close friend. The movie currently has an October release window from Lionsgate, though there has been chatter about legal issues surrounding the depiction of one of his accusers in a sexual abuse case, and the potential for the movie to be split in two so as to cover the full breadth of Jackson’s story.
Outside of those, there is animated tale ‘The Ark and the Aardvark,’ in which Teller voices Gilbert, the titular creature, who is given the task of shepherding the animals on to Noah’s Ark.
The actor is also attached to the long-developing third outing for the ‘Top Gun’ franchise, where he would reprise the role of Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw, AKA the son of Anthony Edwards’ Goose from the 1986 original.
There are a number of other projects on his To Do list, including crime thriller ‘Wild Game,’ ‘Bartali,’ another sporting tale (where Teller would here play champion cyclist Gino Bartali, who put his career on hold to fight in World War II) and Martin Scorsese’s wishlist project ‘The Life of Jesus,’ which also has Andrew Garfield attached but has still yet to shoot.
Here’s what the legendary director told the L.A. Times about the movie:
“I’m trying to find a new way to make it more accessible and take away the negative onus of what has been associated with organized religion. Right now, ‘religion,’ you say that word and everyone is up in arms because it’s failed in so many ways. But that doesn’t mean necessarily that the initial impulse was wrong. Let’s get back. Let’s just think about it. You may reject it. But it might make a difference in how you live your life — even in rejecting it. Don’t dismiss it offhand. That’s all I’m talking about.”
When will ‘Winter Games’ be on screens?
Paramount has yet to give the movie a release date. But assuming it films this year (and given Teller’s busy schedule, there’s no certainty of that), it could be out next year.
Miles Teller plays Lt. Bradley “Rooster” Bradshaw in ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ from Paramount Pictures, Skydance and Jerry Bruckheimer Films.
(Left) Director Joseph Kosinski at CinemaCon 2025. Photo: Warner Bros. (Right) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Preview:
A new version of ‘Miami Vice’ is in development as a feature film, with Joseph Kosinski on board to direct.
Kosinski is the director of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and the upcoming Brad Pitt racing drama ‘F1.’
Originally a hit TV series in the 1980s, ‘Miami Vice’ was made into a feature film by the show’s producer, Michael Mann, in 2006.
Director Joseph Kosinski has been tapped to direct a new version of ‘Miami Vice’ for the big screen, according to the Hollywood Reporter.
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The Universal Pictures project will be scripted by Dan Gilroy, whose previous credits include ‘Nightcrawler,’ ‘Velvet Buzzsaw,’ and several episodes of ‘Andor.’ There is no word yet on casting or a release date.
Director/Producer Joseph Kosinski on the set of Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release.
It’s fair to say that Joseph Kosinski has become one of the hottest directors in Hollywood following the billion-dollar, Oscar-nominated triumph of his ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ in 2022. Kosinski’s next movie, ‘F1,’ is due out in late June and will star Brad Pitt in a Formula One racing drama that carries a reported price tag of $200 million.
Although Kosinski has signed up for ‘Miami Vice,’ his next film will be a similarly high-profile UFO thriller which is being produced by Apple Original Films (which also produced ‘F1’). His previous pictures include ‘Tron: Legacy,’ ‘Only the Brave,’ and ‘Oblivion,’ the latter of which marked his first collaboration with ‘Top Gun’ star Tom Cruise.
What is the background of ‘Miami Vice’?
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
‘Miami Vice’ began life in the early 1980s as a TV show created by ‘Hill Street Blues’ writer Anthony Yerkovich, after NBC president Brandon Tartikoff requested a program that combined the style of MTV with a cop series. The result, produced by Michael Mann, starred Don Johnson as Sonny Crockett and Philip Michael Thomas as Rico Tubbs, two detectives working undercover in Miami. The show, which ran for five seasons from 1984 to 1990, became known for its groundbreaking visual style, its hip needle drops, and the fashions worn by its characters, arguably revolutionizing the look of TV crime drama for decades to come.
After Mann moved into directing feature films with ‘The Last of the Mohicans,’ ‘Heat,’ and others, he rebooted ‘Miami Vice’ as a 2006 movie starring Colin Farrell and Jamie Foxx as Crockett and Tubbs. While not initially a hit with either critics or audiences, the film has since been reappraised and is now considered a cult classic.
Since it’s unlikely that Farrell and Foxx will reprise their roles 20 years later, a new Crockett and Tubbs will no doubt be the first items on Kosinski’s to-do list.
(L to R) Don Johnson and Philip Michael Thomas in the TV series ‘Miami Vice’. Photo: NBC/Universal.
Marlon Brando in ‘The Island of Dr. Moreau’. Photo: New Line Cinema.
A shipwrecked sailor (David Thewlis) stumbles upon a mysterious island and is shocked to discover that a brilliant scientist (Marlon Brando) and his lab assistant (Kilmer) have found a way to combine human and animal DNA—with horrific results.
Karen McCoy (Kim Basinger) is released from prison with nothing but the clothes on her back. Before being incarcerated Karen was the bank robber of her time, but now she wishes for nothing more than to settle down and start a new life. Unfortunately between a dirty parole officer, old business partners, an idiot ex-husband, and a new partner (Kilmer) she will have to do the unthinkable in order to save her son.
After the murder of his beloved wife, a man (Kilmer) in search of redemption is set adrift in a world where nothing is as it seems. On his journey, he befriends slacker Jimmy “The Finn” (Peter Sarsgaard), becomes involved in rescuing his neighbor Colette (Deborah Kara Unger) from her own demons, and gets entangled in a web of deceit full of unexpected twists and turns.
Simon Templar (Kilmer), is a thief for hire, whose latest job to steal the secret process for cold fusion puts him at odds with a traitor bent on toppling the Russian government, as well as the woman (Elizabeth Shue) who holds its secret.
Sir Robert Beaumont (Tom Wilkinson) is behind schedule on a railroad in Africa. Enlisting noted engineer John Henry Patterson (Kilmer) to right the ship, Beaumont expects results. Everything seems great until the crew discovers the mutilated corpse of the project’s foreman, seemingly killed by a lion. After several more attacks, Patterson calls in famed hunter Charles Remington (Michael Douglas), who has finally met his match in the bloodthirsty lions.
Warwick Davis in ‘Willow’. Photo: Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer.
The evil Queen Bavmorda (Jean Marsh) hunts the newborn princess Elora Danan (Ruth Greenfield), a child prophesied to bring about her downfall. When the royal infant is found by Willow (Warwick Davis), a timid farmer and aspiring sorcerer, he’s entrusted with delivering her from evil.
An FBI man (Kilmer) with Sioux background is sent to a reservation to help with a murder investigation, where he has to come to terms with his heritage.
For over 40 years Val Kilmer, one of Hollywood’s most mercurial and/or misunderstood actors has been documenting his own life and craft through film and video. He has amassed thousands of hours of footage, from 16mm home movies made with his brothers, to time spent in iconic roles for blockbuster movies. This raw, wildly original and unflinching documentary reveals a life lived to extremes and a heart-filled, sometimes hilarious look at what it means to be an artist and a complex man.
Terrence McDonagh (Nicolas Cage) is a New Orleans Police sergeant, who receives a medal and a promotion to lieutenant for heroism during Hurricane Katrina. Due to his heroic act, McDonagh injures his back and becomes addicted to prescription pain medication. He then finds himself involved with a drug dealer who is suspected of murdering a family of African immigrants.
Popular and dashing American singer Nick Rivers (Kilmer) travels to East Germany to perform in a music festival. When he loses his heart to the gorgeous Hillary Flammond (Lucy Gutleridge), he finds himself caught up in an underground resistance movement. Rivers joins forces with Agent Cedric (Omar Shariff) and Flammond to attempt the rescue of her father, Dr. Paul, from the Germans, who have captured the scientist in hopes of coercing him into building a new naval mine.
Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun: Maverick.’ Photo: Paramount Pictures.
After more than thirty years of service as one of the Navy’s top aviators, Pete “Maverick” Mitchell (Tom Cruise) is where he belongs, pushing the envelope as a courageous test pilot and dodging the advancement in rank that would ground him. When he finds himself training a detachment of TOPGUN graduates for a specialized mission the likes of which no living pilot has ever seen, Maverick encounters Lt. Bradley Bradshaw (Miles Teller), call sign: “Rooster,” the son of Maverick’s late friend and Radar Intercept Officer Lt. Nick Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), aka “Goose.” Facing an uncertain future and confronting the ghosts of his past, Maverick is drawn into a confrontation with his own deepest fears, culminating in a mission that demands the ultimate sacrifice from those who will be chosen to fly it.
Clarence (Christian Slater) marries hooker Alabama (Patricia Arquette), steals cocaine from her pimp, and tries to sell it in Hollywood, while the owners of the coke try to reclaim it.
Batman (Kilmer) must battle a disfigured district attorney and a disgruntled former employee with help from an amorous psychologist and a young circus acrobat (Chris O’Donnell).
When teenage geniuses Mitch Taylor (Gabriel Jarret) and Chris Knight (Kilmer), working on an advanced laser project, learn that the military wants to use it as a weapon, they decide to thwart the plan.
Val Kilmer in ‘Spartan’. Photo: Warner Bros. Pictures.
U.S. government agent Scott (Kilmer) is assigned to rescue the daughter of a high-ranking government official. As willing as he is to bend the rules to get things done, though, Scott is shocked to find that others are willing to go even further to protect a political career.
A petty thief posing as an actor (Robert Downey Jr.) is brought to Los Angeles for an unlikely audition and finds himself in the middle of a murder investigation along with his high school dream girl (Michelle Monaghan) and a detective (Kilmer) who’s been training him for his upcoming role…
Obsessive master thief Neil McCauley (Robert De Niro) leads a top-notch crew on various daring heists throughout Los Angeles while determined detective Vincent Hanna (Al Pacino) pursues him without rest. Each man recognizes and respects the ability and the dedication of the other even though they are aware their cat-and-mouse game may end in violence.
Legendary marshal Wyatt Earp (Kurt Russell), now a weary gunfighter, joins his brothers Morgan (Bill Paxton) and Virgil (Sam Elliot) to pursue their collective fortune in the thriving mining town of Tombstone. But Earp is forced to don a badge again and get help from his notorious pal Doc Holliday (Kilmer) when a gang of renegade brigands and rustlers begins terrorizing the town.
(L to R) Val Kilmer and Tom Cruise in ‘Top Gun’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
For Lieutenant Pete ‘Maverick’ Mitchell (Tom Cruise) and his friend and co-pilot Nick ‘Goose’ Bradshaw (Anthony Edwards), being accepted into an elite training school for fighter pilots is a dream come true. But a tragedy, as well as personal demons, will threaten Pete’s dreams of becoming an ace pilot.
Earlier this week, Moviefone had the pleasure of attending a virtual press conference, along with other members of the press, for ‘F1’ featuring director Joseph Kosinski, and a video introduction from Lewis Hamilton, producer and Formular One World Champion.
Here’s what Kosinski and Hamilton had to say about making ‘F1’.
The Champion Speaks
The press conference began with an introduction from Formula One World Champion race driver Lewis Hamilton, who is also a producer on the film.
“Joe (Kosinski), Jerry (Bruckheimer), Brad (Pitt), the cast and the whole filmmaking team put an incredible amount of effort to deliver a genuine Formula One racing experience, unlike anything you’ve ever experienced before on screen. As you may have heard, the film was shot during the F1 races over the course of a season, and with Joe at the helm, audiences around the globe are going to feel like they’re on the track and in the driver’s seat.”
Hamilton went on to discuss working with Brad Pitt and his commitment to the project.
“Watching Brad drive around speeds over 180 miles an hour was impressive to see because it’s not something you can just learn overnight. The dedication and the focus that Brad put into this process has been amazing to witness. This film has got it all. Brad Pitt, speed, thrills, an epic underdog story, drama, humor, and a little bit of romance.”
Finally, Hamilton expressed his pride in the film and promised something for Formular One fans and non-fans alike.
“You may even recognize some familiar faces from the world of Formula One racing. As someone who’s dedicated his whole life to this sport, I’m so honored to have worked alongside this team of actors and filmmakers. This has been such a thrill for me. I genuinely promise this film delivers on every level.”
Why Formula One?
After Hamilton’s introduction, director Joseph Kosinski discussed why he wanted to make a movie about Formula One racing.
“Well, I think like a lot of people during Covid, I found myself starting to watch the races and found this great television show called ‘Formula 1: Drive to Survive’. I found that it’s an incredibly unique sport in that your teammate is also your, in many ways, your greatest competition. For me, that makes for a great drama. I also loved how the first season of the show focused on the last place teams, the underdogs rather than the Ferrari, the Mercedes, the Red Bull, the teams that you see at the front of the pack. I thought that there was an interesting story to be told about an underdog team trying to not win the championship, but just trying to win one race against these titans of the sport. So that’s where it started. Lucky for me, I had a contact who was in Formula One that I could reach out to, so I did.”
Commitment to Authenticity
Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes in Apple Original Films’ ‘F1,’ a Warner Bros. Pictures release. Photo: Courtesy Warner Bros. Pictures / Apple Original Films.
Kosinski discussed what steps he took to make sure the race scenes looked as authentic and accurate as possible.
“Well, the first thing I did was I reached out to Lewis Hamilton who gave that incredible intro, and obviously he lives that sport every day. He’s one of the greatest of all time and I asked him to be my partner on making this film. So having Lewis gave me this incredible in into this world, and one of the people he introduced me to was Toto Wolf, the team principal of Mercedes. I started talking with them about wanting to capture the speed of this sport, and It was actually Toto who came up with the idea of rather than making a movie car fast enough to achieve these speeds, but he said, “Why don’t you start with a race car and take a real race car and then work the cameras that you need into that”. So, we did that. We bought six F2 cars, real F2 race cars and worked with Mercedes AMG, the Formula One team and their engineers to build real race cars that could carry our camera equipment recorders and transmitters for making this film. So, every time you see Brad or Damson driving in this movie, they’re driving on their own in one of these real race cars on a real F1 track. So that’s kind of how we approached the making of this film.”
Kosinski also talked about the research he did to prepare for the movie.
“It’s one of the nice benefits of making a movie about Formula One is a lot of research, a lot of travel, and I got to see amazing tracks all over the world. One thing I really love about Formula One is every race has its own character and every weekend it’s very different. We end the film in Abu Dhabi, which is this incredible track that is just a spectacular way to end the film. But every track has its own personality, its own character, and because we went to all these places for real, you really feel like you’ve gone around the world when you watch the movie.”
Shooting the Racing Scenes
Coming off the success of ‘Top Gun: Maverick’, Kosinski explained how that movie prepared him for this film and how he was able to capture the incredible Formula One race scenes and bring that excitement and action to the big screen.
“I mean, the big challenge was just the camera system itself. We had to develop a brand-new camera system taking everything we learned on ‘Top Gun: Maverick’ and pushing it much further. You can’t put 60 pounds of gear onto a race car and expect it’s going to perform the same way. So, we took those ‘Top Gun’ cameras and we worked closely with Sony, sizing them down to something about a quarter of the size. Then on top of that, something I really wanted to do on this film was to be able to operate and move the cameras while we were shooting, which was something we couldn’t do on ‘Top Gun’. So, we have motorized mounts on the car as well. So, you have transmitters that are transmitting the picture back. We’ve got transmitters controlling the movement of the camera. I’m sitting at the base station with Claudio (Miranda), our cinematographer looking at 16 screens. I’ve got camera operators on the controls for the cameras and it’s calling out. The Camera moves like a live television show while they’re shooting. So much research and technology and development went into just being able to roll a frame of footage in addition to the training for the actors and the logistics of shooting at a real race. So, it was a lot of prep to be able to pull this off.”
Kosinski shot some scenes during real Formula One Championship races and explained the complications of trying to execute those scenes in a small window of time.
“I mean, the tracks, the locations are one thing, but on race weekend, it just becomes this whole different world. It’s like a traveling circus. So, we couldn’t just shoot at the track without the race going on. It would’ve been the wrong dynamic. So, we were there on race weekend with hundreds of thousands of people watching us finding these slots between practice and qualifying, that Formula One graciously afforded us. So, we’d get these 10- or 15-minute slots where we’d have to have Brad and Damson ready in the cars, warmed up with and ready to go, and as soon as practice ended, they would pull out onto the track. We’d have 24 to 30 cameras ready, rolling, and I’d have to shoot these scenes in these very short, intense, high-speed windows. But the crowd you’re seeing was there in the stands. I don’t think the crowd realized that Brad Pitt was in the car that was in front of them. So, there was this heightened quality to every race. We were also shooting dramatic scenes on the grid before races, so it was a unique way of working rather than having a whole day to shoot a scene like you normally would on a movie. We had these 9- or 10-minute slots, so it was like a live stage play, but in front of hundreds of thousands of people shooting at 180 miles an hour, literally. So, it was an adrenaline rush every weekend, but what we captured is something you can’t fake, you can’t stage. it was like game day. I remember our first day shooting at Silverstone (racetrack) with Javier (Bardem), Brad and Tobias Menzies. I literally had a piece of paper with, it looked like an American football diagram of where everyone had to stand and walk and where you had moved to. It was like we looked at it and it was like, break, let’s go do this. I think we got three takes in seven minutes or something and got what you see in the film. But the actors, you feel that in their performance, they know it’s like, we’re not going to get 15 tries at it. You got to nail it.”
Driving School
‘F1’ opens in theaters on June 27, 2025.
Actors Brad Pitt and Damson Idris had to learn to drive real Formula One cars for the film and Kosinski discussed how Hamilton helped in their training.
“Brad and Damson are both driving in this film and to get them into these race cars, it required months, literally months of training. But the first day was fun. It was me, Brad and Lewis Hamilton at the track together, all of us jumping in cars and driving each other around in sports cars. Which was one of those things, I’ll never forget having Lewis Hamilton as your driving instructor. But what we learned and what Lewis was really interested was seeing did Brad know how to drive right? Because if Brad can’t drive, this whole film wasn’t going to work. What Lewis was very happy to discover was that Brad had a lot of just natural ability right from the start, and I don’t know where he got that or if he was born with it, but he rides motorcycles, which I think has something to do with it. He’s just a very talented, naturally blessed driver, which for Lewis, gave him a lot of confidence that we might have a shot at pulling this off. He just had that natural feel for grip in the car and what we’re doing on this film is dangerous. So yeah, you must be fearless, and when you see Brad driving, that’s not acting. He’s really concentering on keeping that car on the track and out of the wall during all those scenes. So that’s something that you just can’t fake, I think. I hope the audience feels that when they watch the movie.”
Finding the Right Story
The director talked about how important it was to find the right script and unique characters for ‘F1’.
“It always starts with a great script and a great story. I knew that no matter how accurate or exciting the racing is, it doesn’t mean anything if you’re not telling a story supported with great characters. So, it all starts with the script, and I worked with Ehren Kruger, who also worked on ‘Top Gun: Maverick’. He wrote an incredible script for us to start with. This story has everything. It has the tension you would expect in a movie like this with all the action, but at the same time, there’s real heart here, especially in the story of Sonny Hayes and this kind of redemption journey he’s on. There’s humor in there, there’s some romance, there’s a little bit of everything that you need to tell a fully fleshed out rich story like this.”
The Cast
(L to R) Damson Idris and Brad Pitt in ‘F1’. Photo: Warner Bros. and Apple Original FIlms.
The director also discussed his exceptional cast and what it was like to work with Oscar winners Brad Pitt and Javier Bardem.
“The most important thing a director does beyond developing the script is casting. Casting is everything. The group of actors that we pulled together for this film is incredible. Javier Bardem and Brad together, their friendship, which is an old one- three decades old, really is the core of this story and of this film and just seeing them together on screen is special. Kerry Condon, she’s incredible. She plays the team technical director, so she’s the person in charge of designing the car and the engineers and the drivers. There’s some healthy tension there on every team, and it makes for a great relationship between the two of them. Then Damson Iris, who people might know from his television career (‘Snowfall’), but maybe not from the movies. I’m really excited for people to see him here going toe to toe with Brad on a big screen and a big story. So, we have an incredible cast of supporting actors as well. It’s a great ensemble.”
Is ’F1’ for Racing Fans Only?
“Not at all,” answered Kosinski and the director went on to assure audiences that they don’t need to be Formula One fans to enjoy the movie.
“This is a movie about friendship, teamwork, sacrifice, and redemption. The story I think is universal. It’s just set in this incredibly exciting world of Formula One, and if you are a Formula One fan, I think you’re going to like this movie. If you don’t know anything about Formula One, I think you’re going to like this movie and you might come out wanting to watch some races or maybe even go to a race. So yeah, you don’t need to know anything going in. We’ll teach you everything you need to enjoy this story.”
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What is the plot of ‘F1”?
Sonny Hayes (Brad Pitt), a Formula One driver who raced in the 1990s, has a horrible crash, forcing him to retire from Formula One and start racing in other disciplines. A Formula One team owner and friend, Ruben (Javier Bardem), contacts Hayes and asks him to come out of retirement to mentor rookie prodigy Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team (APXGP).
Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Preview:
Tom Cruise is considering a sequel to ‘Days of Thunder.’
It would likely see him return as driver Cole Trickle.
Paramount is in talks with the actor about the idea.
Tom Cruise, it seems, is ready to turn back the clock and re-visit another one of his past movies.
With the huge success that was ‘Top Gun: Maverick,’ it seems he’s looking at ‘Days of Thunder’ as the next potential sequel generator.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Cruise is talking to Paramount about a potential movie sequel to the NASCAR-set action drama. Which we’re sure the studio would be interested in, especially since it already wanted to make a TV series based on the original for Paramount+ which Cruise shut down.
(L to R) Robert Duvall and Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Released in 1990 following the success of movies such as ‘Top Gun,’ ‘Days of Thunder’ followed a similar storyline about a hot-headed lead character, albeit relocated to a new venue.
Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer (working back then with late colleague Don Simpson) and directed by ‘Top Gun’s Tony Scott, ‘Thunder’ follows the exploits of the improbably named Cole Trickle (Cruise), a scrappy race car driver recruited to a new NASCAR team led by a retired racing legend played by Robert Duvall.
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Cruise got his first and, to date, only official writing credit on the film for developing the story with screenwriter Robert Towne. And his love interest on the movie was played by one Nicole Kidman, to whom he was married for 11 years after meeting here and who made her Hollywood debut playing a neurosurgeon who falls in love with Cole.
‘Days of Thunder’ wasn’t considered a box office hit upon its release (it made $157 million globally off a production budget of $60 million), and the film received mixed-to-negative reviews from critics. Yet it has since been re-evaluated.
What could a ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel be about?
(L to R) Nicole Kidman and Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
Sticking to playbook of ‘Maverick,’ it’s not hard to imagine Cruise back as Trickle (stop sniggering!), here coaching some new hotshot driver while also looking to relive his glory days.
And given the star’s driving (pun entirely intended) love of stunts, we could see him pushing to do as much behind the wheel as he can.
A bigger question might be whether Kidman would return, given that their marriage didn’t exactly end on the best of terms and more recent reports have seen Cruise irked by his former wife’s comments on their relationship. So we might have to buckle up for Kidman’s character to be barely mentioned or not factor in at all.
When would any ‘Days of Thunder’ sequel be in theaters?
1990’s ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
With discussions at such an early stage, and Cruise’s busy schedule we can’t imagine a ‘Days of Thunder’ movie would be anywhere near the checkered flag, let alone ready to speed into theaters much before 2027 or 2028.
Right now, we’d list this one as a rumor, not even on the starting grid. But aren’t you anticipating ‘Days of Thunder: Trickle’ just a little bit? We are. (They can workshop the title).
Tom Cruise in ‘Days of Thunder’. Photo: Paramount Pictures.
