Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz to star in Michael Mann’s Ferrari movie
Hollywood stars Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley have signed up to join Michael Mann’s big-budget biopic of motorsport legend Enzo Ferrari.
Photo by: Dick Thomas Johnson
According to a report in Variety, Star Wars alum Driver – who recently starred as Maurizio Gucci in the Oscar-nominated House of Gucci – will replace Hugh Jackman in the lead role of long-planned movie, which is based on Brock Yates’ 1991 book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races.
The story follows Ferrari’s story from the summer of 1957, when his marriage to wife Laura (to be played by Cruz) was on the rocks due to his affair with mistress Lina Lardi (played by Woodley) following the death of his son Dino in 1956.
The script will tell the story of how Ferrari rebuilt his life and car company around racing, specifically the Mille Miglia.
“Being able to have these wonderfully talented artists, actors Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley, bring to life these unique characters on location in Modena and the Emilia-Romagna is a vision fulfilled,” said Mann.
Mann shot to fame as the executive producer of the Miami Vice TV series, then repeated his success on the big screen with Last of the Mohicans in the early 1990s, which he followed up with blockbusters Heat and The Insider.
Mann says the Ferrari film is a personal passion project.
X-Men franchise star Jackman had been linked to the project in 2020 and it is unclear as to why he has stepped aside, although he has many other projects currently underway – including the Broadway production of The Music Man.
The Ferrari film is being developed by STX Films, which secured international distribution rights – shared with Amazon in some markets.
STX chairman Adam Fogelson added, “Ferrari is so much more than a story about a man and his machine. It is an extraordinary and emotional story that Michael has been developing for years, and the entire team at STX is looking forward to the start of production with this dream cast and filmmaker.
“Adam Driver is one of the most talented and fascinating actors working today, and we could not be more thrilled to pair him with Penelope, whose legendary career builds with every role she takes.”
A previous effort to launch the film, with Al Pacino playing the lead role and directed by Sidney Pollack, faltered in 2004.
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