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Brad Pitt, Joseph Kosinski and Apple Team for Formula 1 Racing Film – The Hollywood Reporter
In a potentially game-changing deal that could impact how streamers and theatrical distributors coexist, Apple has closed a pact to acquire an untitled Formula One racing movie that has Top Gun: Maverick filmmaker Joseph Kosinski directing and Brad Pitt attached to star, The Hollywood Reporter has learned.
The deal, almost five months in the making, reunites Kosinski with many from his Maverick team, including writer Ehren Kruger and producers Jerry Bruckheimer and Chad Oman of Jerry Bruckheimer Films, as Maverick hopes to gross $1 billion or more in its theatrical run. All are back in the same capacity for the racing project and are being joined by Sir Lewis Hamilton, the seven-time F1 world champion, who will produce along with Pitt’s Plan B banner.
The key to the deal is a theatrical distribution component. But instead of a token release in a small number of theaters or a day-and-date opening, the movie would have an exclusive — and global — run of at least 30 days (one source says it could even go as high as 60 days) before heading to the Apple TV+ platform. A distribution partner would need to come on board, and it’s unclear when one would be approached. That could happen before production, potentially enticed by a sizzle reel, or perhaps after production has wrapped.
Apple has released movies in theaters before, with animated film Wolfwalkers enjoying a 30-day window and The Tragedy of Macbeth getting 21 days. However, those were small-scale awards play releases, not tentpole-style extravaganzas.
In another first, insiders say the theatrical component is structured in a way that would see Apple and the filmmakers split the take from the big-screen release 50-50. The unique deal, in essence, pays the creative team three ways: their upfront fees, their hefty buyout fees and the theatrical backend. Sources say Kosinski, who will also produce, and Bruckheimer will see paydays well into the eight figures, with Pitt and his company hitting $40 million to $50 million. Apple had no comment.
