Credits: IMAGO / Motorsport Images

Lewis Hamilton’s F1-based Hollywood project has hit yet another hurdle. The Brad Pitt starrer has crossed the $300 million budget mark which has further complicated things. Distributors are hard to come by as the astronomical budget makes it difficult for them to break even. The current issue, however, finds its roots in the snags they hit earlier.

As per a report from Koimoi, “With a budget of $300 million, this Formula One film’s profitability is a steep climb. It needs to pull in over $750 million at the box office to break even. Warner Bros. and Sony are at the forefront for distribution, but the film’s high budget and financial demands upfront are causing headaches even for the big studios.”

One of the biggest reasons behind the climb of the budget is the 118-day SAG-AFTRA strike. The unit was in the middle of shooting when the strike hit.

That resulted in the delay in filming. Another factor contributing to the soaring budget is the extensive training of the actors who drove the race cars themselves. As a result, the production unit had to observe extra safety measures.

Distributors have, therefore, understandably developed cold feet in taking up the project. This is despite the involvement of the stalwarts of the likes of Brad Pitt and director Joseph Kosinski of Top Gun: Maverick fame. The delay in finding a distributor has further complicated the decision to find a release date.

Lewis Hamilton lauds Brad Pitt for a natural knack for racing

As per Screen Rant, the film is the depiction of a fictional Formula 1 driver who returns long after retiring. The comeback marks in the form of a mentor to a younger driver who races for Apex Grand Prix, a fictional F1 team.

While no confirmation has come through official channels, in most probabilities, Brad Pitt will play the mentor’s role while Damson Idris will play the role of the young driver. Brad Pitt’s character’s driving days are, meanwhile, set in the ’90s with the 60-year-old himself driving for the scenes.

To learn the skills of a racing driver behind the wheel, the Oscar winner went through some rigorous training. Mercedes F1 team principal Toto Wolff played a crucial role in the same.

The Austrian manager revealed, “We sent Brad [Pitt] to a driving school in France. Going through the Formula cars, from Formula 4 to all the way up and I think that was important.”

While Pitt had ample training before taking the wheel, Lewis Hamilton felt he already had a knack for race car driving. In an interview with GQ, the Briton admitted, “Being at Silverstone and just finding out that Brad is actually a racer at heart. He’s genuinely got the abilities, the skill.”