Jerry Bruckheimer on “F1: The Movie,” Working with Brad Pitt, and Breaking into the Movie Business

F1 is a film that takes audiences inside the high-speed world of Formula 1 racing. The movie stars Brad Pitt and features real F1 teams and drivers. It follows the story of a veteran driver who returns to the sport, blending heart-pounding racing action with behind-the-scenes drama.

Film producer Jerry Bruckheimer described the immense challenges of making F1, emphasizing that the most important and difficult part of any movie is getting the screenplay right. He and his team worked tirelessly, making sure everything was perfect up until the film reached theaters. The process was even more complex than usual because they had to work directly with Formula 1, requiring cooperation from 10 different teams and 20 drivers. Filming at 9 different races meant coordinating with 9 separate race promoters, all while traveling around the world. Moving six cars, an entire crew, and all the necessary equipment across continents proved to be a logistical nightmare.

Despite these hurdles, Bruckheimer expressed gratitude for the phenomenal producing team that made the project possible, including Lewis Hamilton, Jeremy Kleiner, Dede Gardner, Brad Pitt, and director Joe Kosinski.

Getting access to film with Formula 1 required a strategic approach. Bruckheimer explained that it’s always best to go right to the top and talk to the key decision-maker. He recalls a similar experience making the first Top Gun, when he and Tom Cruise visited the Miramar base to ask the admirals for permission to film. Initially, their request was denied out of fear that something might go wrong and negatively impact the Navy’s reputation. Undeterred, Bruckheimer and Cruise flew to Washington to meet with Secretary of Defense John Lehman, who immediately understood the film’s potential impact on audiences and the armed forces’ image. After Top Gun’s release, Navy recruitment soared by 500%.

Bruckheimer and his team used the same approach for F1. He, Joe Kosinski, and Brad Pitt met with Stefano Domenicali, the head of Formula 1. Bringing a star like Brad Pitt helped secure the meeting, and showing an early cut of Top Gun: Maverick convinced Domenicali of the film’s potential benefits for F1, just as Lehman had similary seen the positive impact for the Navy.

Jerry Bruckheimer. Photo by Jordan Strauss

Reflecting on his own career, Bruckheimer shared how he broke into the business from advertising. He grew up in Detroit and graduated college with a degree in psychology, but found himself lacking direction and career prospects. Starting at an advertising agency in Bloomfield Hills, he worked his way up from assistant to assistant producer, eventually producing commercials that won awards. This success led to a job at the New York agency BBDO, where he produced Pepsi-Cola ads for television and radio and earned further recognition while honing his skills. A director he had worked with brought him to Hollywood for a Western being made at Fox Studios in Mexico, marking Bruckheimer’s first experience in the film industry.

His first big success came out of nowhere with American Gigolo, surprising everyone. The film was released in April, typically a time for less important movies, but it took off and made Richard Gere a bigger star than from Mr. Goodbar. After that came more hits, including Flashdance and Beverly Hills Cop.

by Staff Writer

From our in-house editorial team.