Michael Mann’s passion project, an Enzo Ferrari biopic, has set its full cast, with Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley all joining the cast.
And the film is finally moving forward with SXTfilms acquiring the worldwide rights to “Ferrari” with an aim to begin filming this May.
Driver and Cruz will play Enzo and Laura Ferrari in the film, while Woodley will play Lina Lardi. The film has been percolating since at least 2020 when Hugh Jackman was initially in talks to play Enzo Ferrari.
Troy Kennedy Martin (“The Italian Job”) wrote the script for “Ferrari” based on Brock Yates’ book “Enzo Ferrari – The Man and the Machine,” and Mann will both direct and produce through his Moto Productions banner. Here’s the full synopsis for “Ferrari.”
It’s the summer of 1957. Ex-racecar driver, Enzo Ferrari, is in crisis. All the dramatic forces of his life – as volatile as the red race cars he builds – are in collision. Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing ten years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for one son and the acknowledgement of another. The passionate instigator of men inspires his Spring Team of drivers, some like surrogate sons. He blunts a hostile press with strafing wit and boldly strategizes to roll the dice on one race – 1,000 miles across Italy, the infamous Mille Miglia. As the red cars slam through towns and mountain passes towards unpredictable outcomes, the future of these vivid characters’ lives are being written.
Mann will produce via his Moto Productions banner alongside P.J. van Sandwijk and John Lesher, as well as Lars Sylvest, Thorsten Schumacher and Gareth West. Niels Juul is executive producing. Principal photography is set to start this spring in Italy, and the film will be released worldwide by STXfilms and its partners.
“Being able to have these wonderfully talented artists, actors Adam Driver, Penélope Cruz and Shailene Woodley, bring to life these unique characters on location in Modena and the Emilia-Romagna is a vision fulfilled,” Michael Mann said in a statement.
“Ferrari is so much more than a story about a man and his machine. It is an extraordinary and emotional story that Michael has been developing for years and the entire team at STX is looking forward to the start of production with this dream cast and filmmaker. Adam Driver is one of the most talented and fascinating actors working today, and we could not be more thrilled to pair him with Penélope, whose legendary career builds with every role she takes,” STX chairman Adam Fogelson added.
Mann is the director of “Heat,” “The Insider,” “Thief” and many more, and his last feature was 2015’s “Blackhat.”
Driver most recently starred in Ridley Scott’s “The Last Duel” and “House of Gucci,” and he’ll next be seen in Sony’s sci-fi thriller “65” and Noah Baumbach’s next movie “White Noise” for Netflix.
Cruz was just nominated for an Oscar for Best Actress for her work in “Parallel Mothers.” She also stars in IFC Films’ “Official Competition” alongside Antonio Banderas.
Woodley most recently starred in “The Mauritanian” and is currently filming the Showtime limited series “Three Women” and will be seen in Damian Szifron’s “Misanthrope.”
Jill Silfen, Executive VP of Business and Legal Affairs for STXfilms, and Harold Brown, of Gang, Tyre, Ramer, Brown & Passman negotiated the deal.
Woodley is represented by Hyperion, Range Media Partners and Felker Toczek Suddleson Abramson. Cruz is represented by CAA. Driver is represented by Gersh and Sloane, Offer, Weber & Dern.
Deadline first reported the news.