Brad Pitt in the Formula One movieBrad Pitt’s Formula One racing movie will reportedly be one of the most expensive ever made. First announced in 2021, the untitled film is from Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski and co-writer Ehren Kruger, and follows a fictional Formula One driver who comes out of retirement to mentor and eventually team up with a younger driver on the Apex Grand Prix team. Other than Pitt, the cast also includes Damson Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Lewis Hamilton, Javier Bardem, and Sarah Niles.

According to Puck‘s Matthew Belloni, the budget for Brad Pitt’s Formula One movie has ballooned to over $300 million. If accurate, this would make it one of the most expensive movies ever made and, as a result, is facing numerous obstacles to being released. The film still doesn’t have a distributor or release date attached.

Why Brad Pitt’s Formula One Movie Is So Expensive

Real Racing & The SAG-AFTRA Strike

Vanisher getting electrocuted in Deadpool 2.Brad Pitt as Ladybug drinking water in Bullet Train

There are a few different reasons why Brad Pitt’s upcoming Formula One movie has reportedly become one of the most expensive ever made. It started production in July 2023, just days before the SAG-AFTRA strike started and lasted for 118 days, which significantly delayed production. Similar to productions that were delayed during the COVID-19 pandemic, such as Fast X ($379M budget) and Indiana Jones and the Dial of Destiny ($326M budget), these delays can cause costs to rise drastically.

Another reason why the Formula One film is so expensive is because, similar to Top Gun: Maverick, the movie put real actors in real race cars. This includes Pitt, who drove a modified Formula Two car with an added Formula One aerodynamic package during the British Prix weekend, though not in an official Formula One race. Putting real actors in real race cars requires an extensive amount of training and enhanced safety protocols, which are necessary, but naturally increase costs.

Brad Pitt's Chad reads from a post it while on the phone in Burn After Reading

In turn, the Formula One film’s budget is reportedly $300 million. If accurate, this would place it just outside the Top 10 of most expensive films ever made, tied for eleventh all-time with Pirates of the Caribbean: At World’s End, Justice League, and Star Wars: The Last Jedi. With a $300 million budget, the Formula One film will have a tough road ahead to becoming profitable, as it will need to make $750-900 million at the box office just to break even.

As a result of its big budget, the Formula One film is facing obstacles to being released. It still doesn’t have a distributor or release date attached. Warner Bros. and Sony are seen as the frontrunners for distribution, though the film’s big budget and upfront financial demands have made it challenging for even traditional studios to handle. In turn, a potential release date for Brad Pitt’s Formula One racing film remains uncertain.