Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt almost reunited on screen as stars of Ford v Ferrari, with discussions taking place well before the final film cast Matt Damon and Christian Bale. The potential collaboration between these Hollywood legends for the high-stakes racing drama offered a tantalizing alternate version of the movie, highlighting how Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt almost starred in Ford v Ferrari and how close fans came to witnessing their partnership on the Le Mans track.
How Cruise and Pitt Nearly Became Ford v Ferrari’s Leading Men
The idea to pair Cruise and Pitt for Ford v Ferrari began circulating years before its release in 2019. Both actors, known for their charisma and commanding performances, seemed a natural fit for a story centered on ambition and rivalry at the iconic Le Mans ’66 race. While Pitt was gearing up for a new Formula One film with Top Gun: Maverick director Joseph Kosinski, there was a time when Kosinski was attached to direct Ford v Ferrari as well, linking these two projects in unexpected ways.
Though Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt had previously shared the spotlight — most notably in the 1994 adaptation of Interview with the Vampire, based on Anne Rice’s novel — their filmographies rarely intersected. Brad Pitt, reflecting on opportunities missed, has shared his continued interest in working alongside Cruise, albeit jokingly preferring to avoid the more dangerous stunts that Cruise is famous for performing himself. Their last collaboration, the gothic Interview with the Vampire, remains the sole testament to their mutual on-screen chemistry.
Plans for a Blockbuster A-List Racing Film Stall Out
According to Brad Pitt in an interview with Extra, both he and Tom Cruise were attached as lead actors for Ford v Ferrari in its early development under the working title Go Like Hell. The concept, initially helmed by Joseph Kosinski, intended Cruise for the role of Carroll Shelby — the former driver and automotive innovator — while Pitt would have taken on the character of Ken Miles.
As the project evolved, however, Cruise reportedly expressed reservations about his potential character’s role, having learned that Shelby would not be participating in the racing scenes, prompting a candid reaction from the actor:
I think Tom was like, ‘But wait, Shelby doesn’t drive any more in this movie…’
— Brad Pitt, Actor
Eventually, the version with Cruise and Pitt did not materialize, and the director’s chair passed from Joseph Kosinski to James Mangold. Mangold later explained, as quoted in ScreenDaily, that proposed budgets for the earlier Go Like Hell vision never received a green light, given the high costs associated with such an ambitious undertaking during those years. The eventual film, directed by Mangold and released in 2019, starred Matt Damon as Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, both earning critical acclaim for their portrayals of the real-life automotive legends.
The Impact and Legacy of a Missed Hollywood Pairing
The notion of Pitt and Cruise sharing the screen in a motorsports epic stands as one of modern cinema’s great “what if” scenarios. With Kosinski directed Top Gun: Maverick, and now involved in F1 with Pitt, this association underscores how closely intertwined their careers could have been if Ford v Ferrari had followed its original star-driven route. A film headlined by Cruise and Pitt might well have set a new bar for racing dramas, redefining expectations years in advance of Top Gun: Maverick’s triumph.
Nonetheless, the casting of Matt Damon and Christian Bale ultimately proved fortuitous, their dynamic performances capturing both the competitive tension and camaraderie of the true story. Bale’s interpretation of Ken Miles, in particular, was widely praised, and the film itself went on to secure a nomination for Best Picture at the 2020 Oscars, solidifying its impact and legacy among sports films. The finished version may have differed from the one initially proposed, but it resonated strongly with both audiences and critics, proving that sometimes a project’s original plan is eclipsed by the power of its final execution.
It’s also worth considering how a Cruise-Pitt Ford v Ferrari could have altered the course of both actors’ careers. Had the film happened as once envisioned, Cruise may not have returned to Top Gun in Maverick, and Pitt’s journey toward his F1 movie might have taken a different turn. This intersection of creative choices and career momentum suggests that while fans of Hollywood “what ifs” may always wonder about the film that never was, the actual outcomes have been equally compelling in their own right.
As the film industry continues to speculate about future collaborations between these A-list actors, the story of Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt almost starring in Ford v Ferrari remains a fascinating example of how behind-the-scenes developments can shape the movies audiences eventually see on screen.
Sources: Extra, ScreenDaily
