It’s been nearly a decade since filmmaker Michael Mann directed and produced a feature film. Now, he’s coming back to filmmaking with the upcoming biopic Ferrari. While its premiere is still a ways away, Ferrari is already picking up traction as it is one of 22 films selected to compete for the prestigious Golden Lion award at the Venice Film Festival. Additionally, since it is being distributed by the independent production company Neon, it has secured an interim agreement from SAG-AFTRA. This means that its stars will be allowed to promote the film during the strike if they choose to do so.
Considering that the film boasts several big names in its cast, the interim agreement could further aid Ferrari‘s performance. Meanwhile, the biopic drama will be tackling the intriguing story of Enzo Ferrari. It will follow the race car driver and founder of Ferrari during a particularly turbulent time in his life in 1957 when his company was struggling, and he took some risky measures to get it back on track. It will be the second major auto racing film to premiere this year after Gran Turismo hit theaters on August 25.
The film has been a long time coming, considering it first entered development in 2000. For over two decades, the film struggled to get off the ground with Mann at the helm. Actors like Christian Bale, Hugh Jackman, and Noomi Rapace signed on and exited the film over this time before Ferrari finally found its Enzo in Adam Driver. Now, equipped with its interim agreement and eyeing its world premiere, Ferarri is becoming a reality. Here’s everything we know about Ferarri so far.
When is Ferrari coming out?
Ferrari has nabbed a holiday slot for its release date. This film will premiere theatrically in the United States on Christmas Day, December 25, 2023. Meanwhile, it will have its world premiere on August 31, 2023, at the 80th Venice International Film Festival.
Ferrari‘s official teaser trailer
Neon dropped Ferrari‘s first official teaser trailer on August 30, giving viewers a first look at Driver’s nearly unrecognizable transformation into Ferrari’s founder.
It’s quite a unique and dramatic teaser that is largely silent aside from the revving of race car engines. The trailer cuts between scenes of a Ferrari 335 S zipping along roads at incredible speeds and scenes of Ferrari with his family. Some of the scenes depict touching flashbacks of Ferrari’s life with his wife and son. However, others touch on the more tragic elements of his life, including the loss of his son. Meanwhile, the toll of that loss, combined with tension over his company, can be seen impacting his marriage in a few volatile moments between him and his wife. All of the tension, emotion, and pain seem to be leading up to one race that Ferrari is adamant about winning. The only spoken words in the trailer come from Ferrari at the end of the trailer, when he states, “If you get into one of my cars, you get in to win.”
What’s Ferrari about?
The official synopsis for Ferrari reads:
It is the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle of Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari is in crisis. Bankruptcy threatens the factory he and his wife, Laura built from nothing ten years earlier. Their volatile marriage has been battered by the loss of their son, Dino a year earlier. Ferrari struggles to acknowledge his son Piero with Lina Lardi. Meanwhile, his drivers’ passion to win pushes them to the edge as they launch into the treacherous 1,000-mile race across Italy, the Mille Miglia.
Hence, the film will also touch on the personal life of Ferrari in the months leading up to the 1957 Mille Miglia. In particular, it will explore the loss of his son, Alfredo Ferrari, who was often referred to as Alfredino or Dino by his father. Sadly, Alfredo passed away in 1956 at the age of 24 from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. The loss had a profound impact on both Ferrari and his wife, as well as their marriage. While navigating his grief, Ferrari paid tribute to his son by finishing the V6 engine Alfredo was developing at the time of his death and naming it Dino.
Additionally, Ferrari will also be touching on Ferrari’s relationship with his younger son, Piero Ferrari. Piero was the son of Ferrari and Lina Lardi, who were involved in an extramarital affair. Due to divorce being illegal in Italy until the 1970s, Piero wasn’t formally recognized as Ferrari’s son and heir to his company until 1978.
It seems the film is seeking to give viewers an honest portrayal of who Ferrari was, personally and professionally. While he is often remembered and celebrated for his contributions to racing and the automobile industry, his career was not without controversy and tragedy. The biggest indicator of his controversial career is the 1957 Mille Miglia race that the film will be centering on. During the race, the Ferrari 335 S that Alfonso de Portago was driving blew a tire, resulting in a crash that took his life, as well as the lives of his navigator and nine spectators. Ferrari was charged with manslaughter in the aftermath of the crash. While he was ultimately acquitted of all charges, questions remain of whether his intensity and desire to win at all costs factored into multiple deaths of his drivers throughout his career.
Ferrari‘s cast
As mentioned above, Driver will be leading the film in the titular role of Ferrari. The Marriage Story and House of Gucci star looks unrecognizable as Ferrari in the film’s trailer. In 1957, Ferrari was nearly 60 years old, so the 39-year-old Driver looks significantly aged up with his slick grey hair and wrinkles for the film. Meanwhile, he also seems to capture the intensity and businessman persona of Ferrari, as well.
Starring opposite Driver is Volver star Penélope Cruz as Ferrari’s wife, Laura Ferrari. While she has often been overshadowed by her husband, it seems the film will bring Laura into the spotlight, exploring her relationship with Ferrari, her support of his career, and how she handled the loss of their son and learning of his long-term affair. Ferrari’s mistress, Lina Lardi, will also appear in the film, portrayed by Divergent star Shailene Woodley.
Brazilian actor Gabriel Leone has nabbed the role of race car driver Alfonso de Portago, while Grey’s Anatomy star Patrick Dempsey will play his teammate Piero Taruffi. Additionally, Sarah Gadon will appear in the film as Linda Christian, the film actress who was captured kissing de Portago before his fateful race in the 1957 Mille Miglia in an infamous photograph dubbed “The Kiss of Death.” Erik Haugen is set to portray Edmund Nelson, de Portago’s friend and navigator in the 1957 race. Jack O’Connell and Michele Savoia also appear in the film as race car drivers Peter Collins and Carlo Chiti, respectively. Rounding out the cast are Andrea Dolente as Gino Rancati and Giuseppe Bonifati as Giacomo Cuoghi.
(featured image: Neon)
