Hungarian GP 2023: Brad Pitt’s F1 Film To Continue Filming Despite Hollywood Strike

Lewis Hamilton, one of the producers of the film, confirmed that the project which stars Brad Pritt in the lead role hasn't been halted due to the Hollywood strike.

Josef Kosinski, film director of the F1 movie by Apple Studios and Bruckheimer Films, Brad Pitt, representing the fictional driver Sonny Hayes, Apex APXGP, portrait Idris Damson, representing the fictional driver Joshua Pearce, Apex APXGP, portrait during the Formula 1 British Grand Prix.

Source : Getty Images

Despite a Hollywood actors' strike, filming for the upcoming Formula One movie starring Brad Pitt is still going on at this weekend's Hungarian Grand Prix. The project, which is rumoured to have the working title Apex, will be starring Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes and the British-Nigerian actor Damson Idris as Joshua Peirce. APX GP, the name given to the fictional team for the film, will be fully functional and up to speed this race weekend. 

For the first time in 63 years, multiple actors have joined screenwriters on American protest lines last week to seek greater wages in this steaming era and restrictions on the use of artificial intelligence in media and production. Various media outlets reported that filming for the Apple produced film was on halt due to the strike but British driver Lewis Hamilton, one of the producers of the film, said that was not the case.

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The 7-time Driver’s World Champion said to the media on Thursday, "Fortunately for us you can see the team is here, APX is here, and we're still filming luckily with the drivers that we have." 

"So hopefully we can continue to still get some important parts of the filming done."

Lewis Hamilton’s production company, Dawn Apollo Films, is one of the forces behind the upcoming film.

According to motorsports media outlet The Race, no Screen Actors Guild – American Federation of Television and Radio Artists (SAG- AFTRA) members would be working at the Hungarian Grand Prix weekend.

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"Pitt is understood to have conducted his last on-screen work (for now) prior to the strike action starting on July 14 and the suggestion is there are no SAG actors working on the project in Hungary so no picket lines have been crossed," said The Race.

"There will likely be more on-track filming in Hungary but this will be handled by stand-ins."

The film is being directed by Joseph Kosinski, of Top Gun: Maverick fame. The film is stated to release around 2024 to early 2025, if everything proceeds as per schedule.