The Brad Pitt-starrer F1-themed movie is one of the biggest passion projects Lewis Hamilton is working on. Despite his on-track rivalry with Max Verstappen, the Dutchman featured in the film when they were filming at Silverstone in 2023. However, the Red Bull driver isn’t a fan and he gave his reasons in a recent interview.
Speaking with the Dutch magazine Formule 1, Max Verstappen said, “Before the American Grand Prix in Austin I saw a few clips of the new film. These were shown during the Drivers Meeting with an explanation of how they had filmed it all. It’s nice to see, that’s for sure, but it doesn’t really interest me that much. I don’t need to see a film of my own sport.”
Much to his fans’ disappointment, Hamilton will not feature in the movie as an actor. Instead, he is engaged as one of the executive producers of the movie. Besides, his expertise in F1 is next to none and will come in handy for the renowned action director Joseph Kosinski.
The seven-time world champion is leaving no stone unturned in ensuring the success of the movie. The same is visible in the production of the movie that demands a massive influx of cash. Reportedly, the movie has a $140 million budget.
It has been quite a while since Hamilton has been flirting with Hollywood. The Mercedes driver was keen on joining Tom Cruise in Top Gun’s sequel, Top Gun: Maverick. However, owing to F1’s busy schedule, he could not commit to the offered role. The $140 million passion project could therefore now be his gateway to the showbiz.
Lewis Hamilton could have a promising career in Hollywood
Lewis Hamilton is no stranger to the silver screen. While most of his appearances have been limited to voiceovers in animated movies Cars 2 and Cars 3, the Briton has enjoyed screen time as well. As short as it was, the 39-year-old appeared in Ben Stiller and Owen Wilson-starrer Zoolander 2 for a cameo.
Hamilton was also a part of the Netflix documentary, The Game Changers. The documentary advocated for a vegan lifestyle and featured the likes of Arnold Schwarzenegger, Jackie Chan, and several other elite athletes. Being a crusader for the vegan diet himself, Hamilton featured in the documentary as well.
With the star power of Brad Pitt and the direction of action specialist Joseph Kosinski, the yet-to-be-named F1-based movie is likely to be a success. Add to that Hamilton’s growing popularity in the United States, the Briton can seriously think about leaping into the industry for good after saying goodbye to F1.
Meanwhile, the love is mutual in this case. Not only does America love Hamilton, but the seven-time champion has time and again let his love known for the country. Had it not been for that, he would have never invested $6 million in the NFL side Denver Broncos. He is also a part owner with Natalie Portman and Justin Timberlake in Bowery Farming, the largest vertical farming company in the United States.
