Veteran producer Jerry Bruckheimer revealed potential plans for sequels to F1: The Movie, a third installment of Top Gun, and a new Pirates of the Caribbean film during his discussion on Thursday at the Variety Entertainment & Technology Summit. He shared insights into the challenging and multifaceted role of a producer while reflecting on the current state of the film industry.
Success of F1: The Movie and Its Reception in America
Bruckheimer recently released the blockbuster F1: The Movie with director Joseph Kosinski, Apple, and Warner Bros. Despite Formula 1’s relatively modest popularity in the U.S. compared to Europe, the film found remarkable success at American cinemas. The film’s appeal stemmed from immersing audiences in an unfamiliar world that highlights the demanding nature of the sport and its athletes.
“It gave you a great ride and you got immersed inside this world that you knew nothing about. And when you walked out, you knew a lot more about what these drivers go through. They’re some of the greatest athletes in the world. There’s only 20 of them,”
Bruckheimer told Variety’s Clayton Davis.
Stars Brad Pitt and Damson Idris underwent intensive training for four months to handle driving around 180 miles per hour, approaching the actual speeds of 220 mph on the track. Bruckheimer praised their dedication to authentically portraying the sport’s challenges.
“Brad Pitt and Damson Idris trained for four months just to be able to drive these cars. That’s how difficult they are to drive. And they’re going 220 miles an hour. Our guys were only going about 180. But just the speed and the technology and the things that they did to make that movie as good as it turned out — we gotta hand it to our actors who work so hard to do it,”
he said.
Innovative Filmmaking Techniques Behind F1: The Movie
Bruckheimer credited director Joseph Kosinski and Apple for adopting groundbreaking camera technology that greatly enhanced the film’s immersive racing scenes. Kosinski’s engineering background and architectural precision enabled the capture of dynamic visuals that drew audiences into the drivers’ experience.
“Joe is trained as an engineer and an architect, and he is so precise about everything,”
Bruckheimer explained.
“He loves our business, he loves telling stories. He’s a phenomenal technician looking at 16 different camera angles on that car, four at a time. They developed new technology so we could put these cameras on the car. The camera was half the size of the cameras that we used in [2022’s] ‘Top Gun Maverick.’ And that’s such an interesting way of looking at coming inside a world which takes you inside this phenomenal sport and makes you almost a part of it. You felt like you were driving those cars the way Joe designed it and photographed it along with [cinematographer] Claudio Miranda.”
Released in late June, F1: The Movie has earned $624 million worldwide, proving the significant investment in innovation and dedication paid off by turning the film into a major cinema event.
Bruckheimer’s Philosophy on Film Production and Audience Engagement
For Bruckheimer, producing films is about creating entertainment that motivates people to leave their homes and enjoy the cinema. He emphasized the importance of offering audiences a valuable experience that matches the effort people put into going out.
“It’s up to us that are in this industry to make entertainment that people want to leave their home and go out and see,”
Bruckheimer stated.
“We all have kitchens in our houses, right? But we all like to go out to dinner. But you want a good meal and we gotta give ’em good meals. And the more we have our great writers, our great actors, our great directors do really hard work to bring something to audiences that they want to go see.”
Bruckheimer highlighted the crucial role of committed actors like Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise, who contribute to making movies successful through their drive and dedication.
“When you work with Tom or with Brad, they’re so value added ’cause they just want to win. They want to make a great movie. They want to have a great performance. They want to make sure that they can promote the movie, that audiences will love it. They just wanna win,”
he said.
Upcoming Projects and the Future of Bruckheimer’s Film Slate
Though Bruckheimer did not provide many details, he acknowledged having roughly 30 projects in various development stages. Among them are sequels and new takes on some of his most popular franchises.
“We’re developing another ‘Top Gun.’ Hopefully we’ll make another ‘F1.’ We’re working on another ‘Pirates,’”
Bruckheimer noted.
“We’re working on a lot of different movies that have become successful and hopefully we can get ’em all made.”
His long career boasts a wide range of iconic films and television shows, including American Gigolo, Flashdance, Beverly Hills Cop, Bad Boys, Top Gun, Armageddon, Pearl Harbor, The Rock, Black Hawk Down, National Treasure, and various TV hits like CSI and The Amazing Race. Despite decades in the industry, Bruckheimer remains passionate about the craft.
The Lasting Joy of Creating Impactful Entertainment
At the conclusion of his conversation, Bruckheimer shared a deeply personal view on why he continues working tirelessly in film production, driven more by the impact on audiences than by financial gain.
“It’s the greatest thing to do, to entertain people. It’s not about the money anymore. It’s about the smile you put on people’s faces, the fact that you move them,”
he explained.
“You take ’em away from their lives for a couple of hours, and make them feel better or feel something when they walk out. And that’s the pleasure I get when I stand in the back of an audience and watch them watch one of our films where people are actually moved. And that’s what you try to accomplish. We don’t always get there, but when we do, it’s really exhilarating.”
