Following the famous 2021 Formula 1 season, several big names in the movie industry showed interest in bringing the sport to life on the big screen. Names like Josh Kosinski, Ehren Kruger, and Jerry Bruckheimer were quickly connected to the project, and none other than Brad Pitt stars in the movie.
However, what started out as just another movie turned into the most successful movie of Brad Pitt’s career. F1 the movie hit theaters in June of 2025 and fans were thrilled with the end result. Receiving a glowing IMDb rating of 7.9/10 and selling out theaters across the world.
The essence of Formula 1 translated well onto the big screen
While hardcore Formula 1 fans might see quite a few flaws, the overall picture that the movie painted of the sport captured the essence of what makes it so special. A combination of man and machine, using the grey areas of the rules to your advantage and pushing yourself and your team to greater heights than anyone thought possible.
F1, the movie, also rose to greater heights than anyone thought possible, earning $545 million at the Box Office. This marks the project as Brad Pitt’s most successful movie, surpassing the likes of World War Z ($540M), Troy ($497M), Mr. & Mrs. Smith ($478M), and Ocean’s Eleven, which earned $451 million at the Box Office when it came out in theaters.
“What a rush!”
Brad Pitt feels the full force of F1 machinery at the Circuit of the Americas 🤩#F1 @McLarenF1 @SkySportsF1 pic.twitter.com/UvZOrlLTHi
— Formula 1 (@F1) June 26, 2025
One of the reasons why this movie worked so well was the realism of it all. Not only did the actors in the movie actually drive race cars on track to film scenes, but they did it on F1 weekends.
The production team had built several modified Formula 2 spec cars to look like F1 cars and they drove them on track during the 2024 Formula 1 season at Silverstone. Brad Pitt also got the chance to drive a real F1 car at the Circuit of the Americas with McLaren after the movie’s release.
This level of commitment translated to the fans into what we can only call a success when it comes to the project in its entirety. Rivaling the likes of movies such as Rush, Ford v Ferrari, and Senna, F1 the movie earned its place among these staples as a realistic representation of what F1 is all about.
Is an F1 the movie sequel in the makes at the moment?
Following the successful release of the movie, many fans started inquiring about a sequel to the movie. Lewis Hamilton, who was a producer for the project, was quick to comment on the matter with a bittersweet message to the fans:
“I saw someone talk about it, but we literally just finished it, so I think the last thing we want right now is a sequel. It’s been four years in the making, it was a lot of work, particularly for Joe [Kosinski, director].”
F1 Movie Producer Lewis Hamilton Pushes Back on Sequel Talk With Blunt Reality Check
Applying the same logic he does to the sport, Lewis Hamilton said that he wants to debrief, reflect, and look at what a future project could look like after learning from this experience. He did, however, leave an open ending to the project and the idea of a sequel:
“I think if we do a sequel, I would say let’s really, really take our time in getting it even better.”
With the sport’s continuous growth from recent years, the urge to make another movie might kick into gear sooner rather than later but in the end, it’s up to the producers, the actors and the FIA (to allow more filming during race weekends) when it comes to the making of another F1 the movie.
