Hollywood heavyweight Brad Pitt has revealed that he and fellow icon Tom Cruise were originally slated to star in the 2019 racing drama Ford v Ferrari — but a lack of time behind the wheel forced them both to hit the brakes on the project.
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The Pit Stop That Never Happened
Speaking with The National, Pitt shared that he and Cruise had initially been attached to director Joseph Kosinski’s early version of Ford v Ferrari, about a decade before the final version hit cinemas with Matt Damon and Christian Bale.
“Tom and I, for a while there, were on Ford v Ferrari with Joe [Kosinski],” Pitt recalled. “What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive. Tom wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles. But when he realised Shelby wouldn’t be driving much, it didn’t come through.”
In the end, James Mangold took over the project, with Damon as Carroll Shelby and Bale as race car legend Ken Miles — and the rest is history.
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No Flying Stunts, Please
Though Pitt and Cruise haven’t shared the screen since 1994’s Interview with the Vampire, Pitt is open to a reunion… with one major condition.
“Well, I’m not gonna hang my a* off airplanes and s*** like that,”* he quipped to E! News, referencing Cruise’s daredevil stunts in the Mission: Impossible franchise.
“So when he does something again that’s on the ground — then yes.”
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Full Speed Ahead with F1
Brad Pitt is currently starring in the highly anticipated F1 racing movie as Sonny Hayes, and he’s already teasing the potential for a sequel. But don’t expect him to take a backseat.
“I would want to drive again, selfishly speaking,” he said, emphasizing that any follow-up would focus on Joshua Pearce, the rising star character played by Damson Idris.
“Sonny’s probably out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting speed records or something like that.”
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Why Brad Loves Sports Films
From Moneyball to F1, Pitt has built a reputation for starring in powerful sports dramas. He opened up on the New Heights podcast with NFL stars Travis and Jason Kelce, explaining why he keeps returning to the genre.
“I love a sports movie when they work… It’s the greatest. I look back at Gene Hackman in Hoosiers or Redford in The Natural, there’s something more there.”
He continued:
“We watch you guys [athletes], we watch your fate. We watch how you deal with adversity, how you fight through it, and it’s really an amazing metaphor for a lifetime.”
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Final Lap: Could Pitt & Cruise Reunite On Screen?
While Ford v Ferrari didn’t pan out for the dynamic duo, Brad Pitt isn’t ruling out a future team-up with Tom Cruise — just as long as there’s a steering wheel involved and all four tires are firmly on the ground.
