Why’s there so much hype around Michael Mann‘s upcoming biopic “Ferrari,” about the Italian automobile icon? For one, it’s Mann’s first film in over five years, 2017’s “Blackhat” being his last. Second, “Ferrari” is a passion project for a director known for his meticulous attention to detail; i.e.: with all of the work Mann’s put into developing this movie, it’s bound to be excellent. And then there’s the film’s stacked ensemble, which we’ll get to in a moment, as more have joined the cast.
Deadline reports that Sarah Gadon, Jack O’Connell, and Patrick Dempsey are the latest to join the cast of “Ferrari.” They join the previously announced Adam Driver, who plays Enzo Ferrari, Penélope Cruz, Shailene Woodley, and Gabriel Leone. Dempsey plays Piero Taruffi and O’Connell plays Peter Collins, two race car drivers from the movie’s era. Meanwhile, Gadon plays Mexican actress Linda Christian.
“Ferrari” takes place in the summer of 1957. Driver’s Ferrari, an ex-racecar driver finds his business life in crisis, with the company he and his wife, Woodley’s Laura, built on the verge of bankruptcy. While weathering his tempestuous family life, Ferrari bets big on one race: the iconic Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile road race across Italy.
Mann co-wrote the script for “Ferrari” with the late Scottish screenwriter Troy Kennedy Martin. The script is based on Brock Yates‘ 1991 book “Enzo Ferrari: The Man And The Machine.” Mann also produces the upcoming film through his Moto Productions banner with P.J. van Sandwijk and John Lesher. The director aims for production of the movie to start in Italy on August 1.
Catch Gadon next in “North Of Normal,” Carly Stone‘s movie based on Cea Sunrise Person‘s acclaimed biography. As for O’Connell, he’ll be in Netflix and Sony‘s take on D.H. Lawrence‘s “Lady Chatterly’s Lover.” He also has the BBC One show “SAS: Rogue Heroes” out next month. Meanwhile, Dempsey stars in the “Enchanted” sequel “Disenchanted” on Disney+ this Fall. He’s also on the SKY series “Devils.”
What’s not to love about a new Michael Mann movie coming out in the next year or two? More news on “Ferrari” is on the way before the summer’s out, to be sure.