Before the Oscars race results are even in, it’s been announced that F1 is getting a sequel. The news comes from veteran action producer Jerry Bruckheimer, who announced that he’s already begun working on a follow-up to his hyperbolic, high-revving racing flick, which has racked up four Oscar nominations this year for Best Picture, Best Sound, Best Film Editing, and Best Visual Effects.
Speaking to the BBC at the annual Academy Awards luncheon in Los Angeles on Tuesday, Bruckheimer said: “We’re working on a sequel.” No other details were disclosed, like whether stars Damson Idris or Brad Pitt will reprise their racing driver roles—Pitt’s Sonny Hayes seemed to climb out of the single-seat cockpit for good at the end of the first movie. Presumably, real seven-time F1 champion Lewis Hamilton would return to co-produce, but that hasn’t been made official.
Bruckheimer did reveal that he was “surprised” by F1’s Oscars nominations, saying “It was a long journey to get the movie made because we had to endure a couple of strikes—but in the end, the movie entertained audiences around the world. I’d never worked with Brad Pitt before and it’s really a thrill to work with Brad.”
News of the sequel isn’t a surprise, given the first’s runaway success at the box office. The Apple Studios film raked in an incredible $633 million at theaters worldwide to become the highest-grossing motorsports movie ever. It’s also the top-grossing release of Pitt’s illustrious career, having handily surpassed the $540 million made by 2013’s World War Z, Pitt’s previous record holder.
Despite a somewhat kitschy storyline and a few borderline ridiculous racing moments, F1 was widely praised by reviewers and universally loved by audiences, as evidenced by its 82 percent critics and 97 percent audience scores on Rotten Tomatoes. With stats like that, it’s a top contender for the best racing movie ever made. With a slightly more realistic display of F1 racing and a more enthralling story, Bruckheimer and co. just might be able to pull off back-to-back wins at the box office.
