Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari’ Finally Getting the Green Light to Shoot

Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley have hopped onboard Michael Mann’s long-gestating passion project, “Ferrari.” STX will be handling International rights and also picked up domestic rights to the film. This is huge.

Driver will be taking on the role originally slated for Hugh Jackman, and this after Christian Bale had dropped out of the lead role to make “Ford v Ferrari”. Cruz is said to be playing Ferrari’s wife.

Mann has been aiming to make this passion project happen for a long, long time. I've read fairly old interviews where he talked about wanting to do it. And so, today’s news is a big victory for Mann. 

The film will be set in the summer of 1957, during a time of immense distress for Ferrari. The company he built was going broke, at the same time, his marriage was crumbling after the death of their son. Deadline had originally described “Ferrari” as having an almost “The Godfather” type feel. 

“The real power of this piece is in the emotionally charged lives of these people in complex, extreme circumstances,” Mann said. “In addition, there is the explosive power and lethal beauty of racing. It has a great drama at its core and that’s why ‘Ferrari’ stayed with me.”

Mann is nearing 80 and usually takes 5+ years between each project, but the 2020s look like they're going to be pretty busy for him. He directed the pilot for HBO Max’s “Tokyo Vice” and is also producing that series. He was also set to begin work on a Vietnam miniseries, which was apparently deep enough into development that he was location scouting in Vietnam not too long ago.

Mann had been missing in action the last decade, a surprising disappearance act from the great director of such muscular achievements as “The Insider,” “Collateral,” and “Heat.” He’s released only one movie in the last ten years, 2015’s misbegotten “Blackhat,” which, I hear, was vastly improved by its director’s cut.