Starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as British race car driver Ken Miles, Ford v Ferrari is an upcoming movie which chronicles an epic rivalry between two of the automotive world’s most enduring brands.
Poignant and character focused, this movie uses the backdrop of the 1966 Le Mans Grand Prix to sketch a vivid story of friendship and triumph.
While many will already be familiar with the story at the core of Ford v Ferrari, this is a big budget adaptation that spares no expense to bring a beloved automotive tale to the silver screen.
Though its theatrical trailer has only just been released, the movie is already receiving tremendous international buzz as a strong contender for this year’s Oscar Awards.
Chronicling Carroll Shelby’s Epic Years Between 1964-66
The trailer for Ford v Ferrari focuses heavily on Matt Damon’s Carroll Shelby. The renowned automotive designer was an accomplished race car driver whose professional career culminated with a victory at the 1959 24-Hour Le Mans Grand Prix.
While Brit Ken Miles is not as well known as Shelby, he was a close friend and assisted with the design of iconic cars such as the GT40 Mk II, Shelby Cobra, and the Mustang GT350.
Ford v Ferrari is a Car Movie about Relationships
As portrayed in the trailer, Carroll Shelby was the glue that held together the storied Ford GT40 team at the core of this movie. Owned by Henry Ford II and driven by his personal rivalry with Enzo Ferrari, this is a movie that explores some unique interpersonal themes.
Director James Mangold highlighted the focus of the movie saying, “This is much more of a relationship movie and less a historical document.”
Actor Christian Bale added,“It’s these two friends figuring out how do you deal with these a-holes in suits who know nothing about racing.”
He goes on to explain the movie is about, “something that captures the spirit of people who are willing to risk everything for their love.”
Henry Ford II: Obsessed with Victory
Actor Tracy Letts stars in Ford v Ferrari as Henry Ford II. Many have described this character in the movie as becoming a bit of a clear villain.
No doubt a very colorful character, the real Henry Ford II, heir to his family’s automotive empire set out to make a major contribution to the growth of their wealth.
As the story goes, after a failed deal with Ferrari in the early 1960’s went sour, Ford II developed an obsession with besting Enzo Ferrari’s Italian performance racing brand.
Lee Iaccoca: Legendary Ford Motor Company Exec
Actor Jon Bernthal portrays the legendary Ford executive Lee Iaccoca in Ford v Ferrari. Iaccoca was instrumental in the production of many key Ford vehicles including the GT40.
As a result, he features prominently in the film.
Unfortunately, as of July 2nd of 2019, Lee Iaccoca passed away at the age of 94 at his home in Bel Air, California.
It is unclear if he was able to check out Bernthal’s portrayal in the movie, but it seems very likely he was thoughtfully included in the production of the film.
Ford v Ferrari will be released on November 15th of 2019.
Source: Screen Rant