Brad Pitt on racing Tom Cruise in an F1 and Days of Thunder crossover: 'The problem is we both want to win'
Brad Pitt’s cast doubt on an F1 and Days of Thunder crossover, teasing a single, glaring hitch that could scupper the whole idea.
Here we go again with that irresistible Hollywood itch: squeezing together two icons on the biggest, noisiest stage possible. This time, it's the fantasy of a crossover blending F1 and Days of Thunder—yes, they're actually floating a film where Brad Pitt goes wheel-to-wheel with Tom Cruise. Or, more accurately, the studios and a handful of enthusiastic onlookers are crossing their fingers for it. Only one snag: the stars themselves don't seem quite as wild about sharing the screen as the rest of us are about watching them try to out-cool each other.
The whole thing came up (again) during a recent chat Pitt had with Entertainment Tonight. Apparently, the world's collective wish for a Cruise-Pitt motorsport movie isn't new, but Pitt summed up the main obstacle—only half joking, but also rather telling:
Asked if he'd actually want to work with Cruise on this sort of project, Pitt shrugged: "The problem is we both want to win."
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Couldn't have put it better myself. It's the kind of dilemma you don't get when you cast, say, a couple of low-key Brits who just want the paycheque and a cup of tea.
Hollywood Chess Moves
The concept isn't just the fever dream of Reddit users, either. Jerry Bruckheimer, the Hollywood producer who gave us the original Days of Thunder, has admitted (multiple times now) that the idea of mashing Pitt and Cruise together is a tempting one. Speaking to the same outlet, he was quite effusive:
Bruckheimer, pressed about the dream pairing, replied: 'I would love that. I would love that. It would be great to put those two amazing actors together.'
Meanwhile, Joseph Kosinski—that's the director responsible for Top Gun: Maverick, and the fella in charge of Pitt's upcoming F1 film—has been quietly stirring the pot as well. Kosinski's made a bit of a habit out of retooling old properties for new audiences. Days of Thunder, what with its petrolhead nostalgia and now two mega stars attached, is obviously fertile ground.
What Would It Actually Be?
So what's this hypothetical film in their heads? Kosinski, in a chat with GQ Magazine, spelled out his pitch: imagine Cruise's hotshot racer, Cole Trickle, coming out of movie retirement to tangle with Pitt's new F1 driver, Sonny Hayes. The twist? Turns out they share a bit of history and some never-quite-settled track rivalry. Kosinski even dredged up stories of Pitt and Cruise having an epic go-kart battle back during their Interview with the Vampire days, which, if you know anything about egos in Hollywood, is basically catnip for producers.
- Kosinski wants Cruise's Cole Trickle and Pitt's Sonny Hayes to have a backstory as rivals
- He recounted tales of a legendary go-kart scrap between the two actors off-set in the 90s
- No official development or green light so far—just plenty of wishful thinking at this stage
No studio announcement or production start date has made this F1/Days of Thunder mashup any more than wishful thinking for now.
For the moment, it's just a lot of posturing and playful what-if-ing, with no script, no official development meetings, and, crucially, no one on the payroll. If someone does manage to get Pitt and Cruise to actually sign the dotted line and share a starting grid, though, I'd wager that keeping them from racing off with the film (and each other's thunder) would be half the fun—and the challenge.