Kosinski says Pitt a safer choice than ‘scary’ Cruise for ‘F1’ movie

Hollywood director Joseph Kosinski has revealed that, despite his long-standing creative partnership with Tom Cruise, the idea of the actor starring in the upcoming Formula 1 film ‘F1’ would have made him uneasy – even more so than working with Brad Pitt.

Kosinski, best known for directing the box office smash Top Gun: Maverick, returns to high-octane action with F1, a motorsport epic featuring Pitt as fictional former driver Sonny Hayes.

The film, produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and with Lewis Hamilton serving as an advisor and co-producer, is set for international release on 25 June.

Kosinski’s experience working with Cruise on Top Gun: Maverick left him with immense respect for the actor’s capabilities but also a bit wary about his relentless drive as he explained in a recent interview with GQ magazine.

“Tom always pushes it to the limit, but at the same time is super capable and very skilled,” the acclaimed director explained.

“They both have the natural talent for driving. But yeah, I could see Tom maybe scaring us a little bit more.”

As a megastar, Cruise has built a reputation for performing his own stunts, especially in the massively successful Mission: Impossible movie franchise.

And while Brad Pitt also trained extensively for the F1 role, the director suggested that Pitt’s approach was more grounded in self-awareness.

Stunt Veteran Backs Pitt Over Cruise

Kosinski’s cautionary words were echoed by Graham Kelly, the film’s action-vehicle supervisor, who has first-hand experience managing Cruise’s high-thrill expectations during his time working on the Mission: Impossible installments.

“We’d have had a crash,” Kelly said bluntly. “Tom pushes it to the limit. I mean really to the limit. That terrifies me.

“I mean, I’ve done loads of Mission Impossibles with Tom and it’s the most stressful experience for someone like me building cars for him, doing stunts with him.”

By contrast, Kelly praised Pitt’s attitude during production.

“Whereas Brad listens and he knows his abilities, and I think he’d be the first to say, ‘Yeah, I’m not going to do that.’”

Filmed mainly on location at real F1 venues and featuring footage captured during actual Grand Prix weekends, F1 aims to blend authentic racing with Hollywood drama.

F1’s grid, save for Max Verstappen who took a pass on the viewing, was treated to an exclusive screening of the film ahead of last month’s Monaco Grand Prix.

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• The countdown begins: Final trailer drops for ‘F1’ Hollywood epic

Ferrari’s Charles Leclerc was among those impressed by the film’s execution, especially its action scenes.

“It was really cool,” Leclerc said. “Obviously, we are looking at it as Formula 1 drivers, and we always try and see all the small details that are not exactly the way we live things.”

“But it's very Hollywood-like, and I think that's really cool because it's not just for F1 drivers in the end. It's for a broader audience, and I thought it's absolutely great for the sport to have a movie like that.”

With the film’s release just weeks away, F1 promises to deliver an adrenaline-filled experience for motorsport fans and general audiences alike – with Brad Pitt in the cockpit.

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