The timing suggests that the inaugural Las Vegas GP in November will likely play a major role in the storyline.
On Friday, Pitt, producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski met with F1 team bosses in Austin to give them an idea of their plans.
The filmmakers pointed out that they consider their production the racing equivalent of Bruckheimer’s hugely popular Top Gun: Maverick.
Domenicali has confirmed that all teams and drivers will be involved in the project, which will feature real cars and their sponsors.
The Italian sees the film as the next logical step in building the global success of the Drive to Survive Netflix series.
“I think it’s something serious,” he told Autosport. “I’m very excited because we’re somewhere where people think, ‘What’s next?’
“And that’s another step in the growth. We really believe that this will allow F1 to be in another dimension that has not been explored so deeply and so well until today.
“You will see that there will be a lot going on next year on the preparation, and it’s exciting because all the teams will be involved, the drivers, everyone. So that’s fantastic.
“We are already planning all the activity and activation that needs to be done in a real race weekend, we will start in the second half of the season for production.
“We’re still working out the details, because it’s just the beginning of the plan, but you’ll see it’s going to be quite interesting, I would say.”
Hollywood movie star Brad Pitt at the McLaren garage
Photo by: Mark Sutton / Motorsport Images
When asked if the production would have their own cars on track between official sessions, he replied: “The only thing I can say is that it will be real, so you will see something happen during the race weekends.”
Domenicali says the teams and their current sponsors are eager to get involved, and when Bruckheimer directed the NASCAR Days of Thunder movie more than three decades ago, Mello Yello received huge coverage as the backing car of Tom Cruise.
“They will be there, the real ones, who will be involved in the film,” Domenicali said. “And now there are discussions with the teams about how to create the plan with the story, although of course that is done by Hollywood.”
Domenicali added that Lewis Hamilton’s close involvement as producer will help keep production on track, while stressing that all other pilots will be invited to be part of the film.
“Lewis will be very important because he loves this new project and he will keep the good authenticity of the film that will be produced.
“I guarantee you the producer is the best in Hollywood, the director is one of the best in Hollywood and the lead actor, Brad Pitt, needs no introduction.”
When asked if the film would be a direct revenue stream for F1 or primarily a global PR tool for the sport, he replied: “Let me say it will be both. But for sure that it is very important at this time to do certain things.
“Films will be part of what we will build for the future to attract new audiences, and also to invest in the additional revenue that will come.”
