Brad Pitt Opens Up About His & Tom Cruise’s Decision to Exit Ford v Ferrari

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Brad Pitt is generating fresh attention following his disclosure about why he and Tom Cruise initially withdrew from Ford v Ferrari, the highly praised racing drama they were originally slated to star in. In a recent chat, Pitt discussed how their shared dream of playing driving roles eventually led to their involvement ending amicably. He also reminisced about the project’s development into a successful film, even without them on board.

Below is a summary of Pitt’s insights into the casting dispute, Cruise’s choice, and their reasons for walking away from the project.

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Pitt discusses the issues surrounding cast selection, Cruise’s move, and the factors that led to them parting ways with the production.

Brad Pitt shares reason behind exiting Ford v Ferrari with Tom Cruise

In the years leading up to the 2019 release of Ford v Ferrari, it was initially planned for Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise to take on the main roles.

In an interview with The National, Pitt stated, “For a period, Tom and I were working on Ford v Ferrari under Joe’s direction. At that time, our primary goal was to get behind the wheel, with Tom aiming for the Shelby role, and me for Ken Miles.

When Tom discovered that the character he had selected wouldn’t be primarily driving during the film, he felt it wasn’t as compelling. Brad stated this by saying, “It just didn’t feel right.

Later on, it was James Mangold who took up the director’s chair for the movie featuring Matt Damon portraying Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale stepping into the role of Ken Miles. The film made its debut in 2019, garnered four Academy Award nominations, and ended up taking home two awards.

While discussing F1 The Movie during its promotional phase, which earned an impressive $144 million worldwide in its initial weekend as reported by ESPN, Brad Pitt reflected on the role of Sonny Hayes – an aging driver making a comeback to Formula One for one last race. The film’s thrilling conclusion was filmed at the 2024 Abu Dhabi Grand Prix, with Pitt expressing gratitude towards the location and assistance from local authorities. “It was nothing short of a grand finale,” he stated. “The Yas Marina Circuit felt like our personal playground.

Pitt has shown enthusiasm for a possible sequel and suggested Tom Cruise as a potential collaborator. When asked about it, he replied, “I’d definitely be on board.” However, he raised the usual challenge by stating, “For this to occur, Tom would need to be behind the wheel too. So, I’m not entirely sure how that will pan out, but we’ll certainly try.

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2025-07-04 11:43