As RuPaul Charles would say, “Ladies and gentlemen, start your engines.” Why? Because James Mangold’s much-anticipated “Ford v Ferrari” just had its world premiere at the Telluride Film Festival followed up by the Canadian premiere in Toronto and the debut was a roaring success. In this high-speed biopic (titled “Le Mans ’66” in the U.K. and other territories), the “Walk the Line” and“3:10 to Yuma” director pits an underdog team of American automotive engineers against Ferrari in the 1966 ‘24 Hours of Le Mans’ endurance race in France.
READ MORE: 2019 Telluride Film Festival Preview: 9 Most Anticipated Movies
Christian Bale and Matt Damon star as British racing driver Ken Miles and American car designer Carroll Shelby – two real-life superheroes whose tenacity led to one of the most definitive moments in racing history.
READ MORE: 2019 Venice Film Festival Preview: 15 Must-See Movies
Written by Jez Butterworth, John-Henry Butterworth, and Jason Keller, this is no David and Goliath tale. In an interview with EW back in May, Bale described it as “David vs. Goliath vs. Goliath,” with a couple of misfits up against industrial giant Ford and the renowned king of racing Ferrari.
READ MORE: 2019 Fall Preview: The 45 Most Anticipated Films
Here’s the official synopsis:
READ MORE: 2019 Telluride Film Festival Preview: 9 Most Anticipated Movies
“Academy Award-winners Matt Damon and Christian Bale star in FORD v FERRARI, based on the remarkable true story of the visionary American car designer Carroll Shelby (Damon) and the fearless British-born driver Ken Miles (Bale), who together battled corporate interference, the laws of physics, and their own personal demons to build a revolutionary race car for Ford Motor Company and take on the dominating race cars of Enzo Ferrari at the 24 Hours of Le Mans in France in 1966.”
READ MORE: The 100 Most Anticipated Films Of 2019
Originally set to be directed by Joseph Kosinski, starring Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt, the project fell apart at the beginning of 2018. After these teething issues, let’s see if “Ford v Ferrari” manages to whizz across the finishing line during the awards season. Also starring Caitriona Balfe, Josh Lucas, Ray McKinnon, Noah Jupe, and Tracy Letts, among others, “Ford v Ferrari” is scheduled to be released by Walt Disney Studios on November 15. Watch the latest trailer below.
