"We both wanted to drive": Brad Pitt on why 'Ford vs Ferrari' didn't come through with Tom Cruise

Washington DC [US], July 4 (ANI): Brad Pitt is currently basking in the success of his recently released film 'F1', which has topped the charts at the international box office. While the rumours of the 'F1' sequel are still rife on the internet, with a possible crossover of Tom Cruise, the actor Pitt revealed why the 'Ford vs Ferrari' didn't happen with him and Cruise in the lead roles, as reported by Variety.
In an earlier interview, 'F1' director Joseph Kosinski revealed that he initially pitched the idea of Ford vs Ferrari with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise in the lead roles. However, it didn't see the light of another day due to budget issues with the makers. James Mangold ended up directing "Ford v Ferrari" with Christian Bale and Matt Damon instead.
In a recent interview with The National, as quoted by Variety, Pitt revealed that there was another reason why 'Ford vs Ferrari' didn't feature him and Cruise in lead roles.
"Tom and I, for a while there, were on 'Ford v Ferrari' with Joe [to direct]. This was about 10 years before the guys who actually made it - and made it a great movie," Pitt said as quoted by Variety.
He added, "What it came down to is that we both wanted to drive, and [Tom] wanted to play Shelby, and I wanted to play Ken Miles. And when Tom realised that Carroll Shelby would not be driving much in the movie, it didn't come through. So I'm not sure how that's going to work [in a potential 'F1' sequel], but we'll give it a go. I'd love to," as quoted by Variety.
According to the outlet, Pitt is currently considering an 'F1' sequel, as Apple is reportedly in talks about a potential follow-up to the racing movie, which grossed 144 million USD worldwide upon its release.
"I would want to drive again, selfishly speaking. F1 is still the focus. It needs to be on Joshua Pierce - Damson Idris's character - and the rest of the team fighting for a championship. Where does Sonny fit in? I'm not sure. Sonny's probably out on the Bonneville Salt Flats, setting speed records or something like that. So I'm not sure beyond that, just yet," said Pitt as quoted by Variety.
'F1' is directed by John Kosinski, who is famous for the direction of 'Top Gun: Maverick'. The racing drama also stars Damson Idris, Javier Bardem and Kate McKenna in the lead roles.
It was released in theatres on June 27, 2025 (ANI)