Ferrari is a 2023 American biographical sports drama film directed by Michael Mann and written by Troy Kennedy Martin. Based on the 1991 biography Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine by motorsport journalist Brock Yates, the film follows the personal and professional struggles of Enzo Ferrari, the Italian founder of the car manufacturer Ferrari S.p.A., during the summer of 1957. Adam Driver portrays the titular subject, and co-stars Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, Sarah Gadon, Gabriel Leone, Jack O'Connell, and Patrick Dempsey.
Ferrari was selected to compete for the Golden Lion at the 80th Venice International Film Festival, where it premiered on August 31, 2023. It is scheduled to be released in the United States on December 25, 2023, by Neon. The film garnered generally positive reception from critics
Synopsis[]
In the summer of 1957, Enzo Ferrari, reeling from the death of his son Dino, the deteriorating marriage with his wife Laura, and his company's impending bankruptcy, enters his racing team to the 1957 Mille Miglia.
Cast[]
- Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari
- Penélope Cruz as Laura Ferrari
- Shailene Woodley as Lina Lardi
- Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian
- Gabriel Leone as Alfonso de Portago
- Jack O'Connell as Peter Collins
- Patrick Dempsey as Piero Taruffi
- Michele Savoia as Carlo Chiti
- Erik Haugen as Edmund "Gunner" Nelson
- Ben Collins as Stirling Moss
- Andrea Dolente as Gino Rancati
- Giuseppe Bonifati as Giacomo Cuoghi
- Daniela Piperno as Adalgisa Ferrari
- Tommaso Basili as Gianni Agnelli
- Alfredo Benedettini as Alfredo Ferrari
Production[]
Michael Mann first began exploring making Ferrari around 2000, having discussed the project with Sydney Pollack. In August 2015, Christian Bale entered negotiations to star as Ferrari. Filming was planned to begin in summer 2016 in Italy. In October 2015, Paramount Pictures bought the worldwide distribution rights for the film. Bale exited the film in January 2016 over concerns of meeting the weight requirements for the role before the start of production. The project stalled until April 2017, when Hugh Jackman entered negotiations to portray Ferrari, and Noomi Rapace as his wife with Paramount no longer involved. The project would again go dormant until June 2020. Mann and Jackman were still attached, with Rapace no longer involved and with STX International taking over international distribution. Filming was set to begin in April 2021.
In February 2022, Jackman had since left the film, with Adam Driver now starring as Ferrari. Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley also joined the cast. At the same time, STXfilms also secured domestic distribution rights for the film with a theatrical release planned. In July, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gadon, Jack O'Connell and Patrick Dempsey were added to the cast. Pre-production began in April 2022, with filming originally set to commence in July in Modena.
Principal photography began on August 17, 2022, in Italy. Filming occurred in Brescia in early October. Production of the film wrapped two months later, in late October.
Release[]
A first-look was released in October 2022, with two images. The film had its world premiere at the 80th Venice International Film Festival on August 31, 2023. Originally scheduled to be released by STX in the United States, North American distribution rights to the film were acquired by NEON in July 2023, following a bidding war which also included A24 and an unnamed streaming service, and dated for wide theatrical release in the United States on December 25, 2023.
The film is scheduled to be released on Sky Cinema and Now in the United Kingdom in 2023, with STX retaining all other international rights.
Reception[]
Ferrari received positive reviews from critics as one of Mann's stronger recent films. On Rotten Tomatoes, 75% of 56 aggregated critics gave the film a positive review, with an average rating of 6.5/10. The website's consensus reads: "Sleek and well-acted, Ferrari overcomes its occasionally underpowered narrative to deliver a rousing and admirably complex biopic." On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 74 out of 100, based on 24 critics, indicating "generally favorable reviews".
In December 2023, the film was named one of the top 10 films of 2023 by the National Board of Review, under winner Killers of the Flower Moon and alongside Barbie, The Boy and the Heron, The Holdovers, The Iron Claw, Maestro, Oppenheimer, Past Lives and Poor Things.
Videos[]
- ↑ Ferrari. Writers Guild of America West (June 7, 2023).
- ↑ Daniel Pemberton Scoring Michael Mann's 'Ferrari' (June 13, 2023).
- ↑ Biennale Cinema 2023 | Venezia 80 Competition (in en) (June 26, 2023).
- ↑ 'Ferrari' Budget is $110 Million.