Jerry Bruckheimer opens the door to “F1” movie sequel

Hollywood producer Jerry Bruckheimer has opened the door to a potential sequel to the F1 movie before the original film has even been released. Joking that the next film could begin at the iconic Australian Grand Prix in an interview with TODAY correspondent Jonathan Kearsley, the 81-year-old made it clear that the future of the franchise depends purely on performance. 

During the promotional tour of the upcoming F1 movie, Kearsley questioned the Hollywood heavyweight about the possibility of a sequel. 

"Now Jerry, obviously you mentioned Melbourne's got a Formula 1 Grand Prix. Uh, could we see maybe an F1 2 and start it in Melbourne? Launch the series, launch the movie on beautiful Albert Park?" he asked.

Bruckheimer's response was enthusiastic. 

"That's up to you. If you talk us up, a lot of people come see it, we'll figure out how to make another one. Melbourne's a track that we didn't get to go to that I would - I'd love to, because I know it's a favourite for a lot of the drivers. So that would be a great way to kick off a sequel."

Starring Brad Pitt and Damson Idris, the F1 movie is an ambitious project, reportedly seeing a budget exceeding $200 million. Directed by Joseph Kosinski and with input from Lewis Hamilton, it hardly lacked resources during its production. 

Jerry Bruckheimer at the World Premiere of F1 The Movie

Photo by: Getty Images

Early projections suggest the movie could earn anywhere between $56-72 million domestically in its opening weekend, with Box Office Theory suggesting it could be a "summer sleeper" after an impressive marketing campaign leading up to its release. With a positive reception from reviewers, and Rotten Tomatoes offering an 88% rating, things are looking good in the lead-up to its release.

"This is the highest-rating movie that I've had as far as recommending it to your friends," Bruckheimer said via ESPN. "It was over 80%. I've never had a movie that people recommend to their friends... 'Definitely recommend' at 80%. It's unbelievable."

Discussing the early test screenings held in the United States, Apple executive Eddy Cue added: "[At the start] you ask them how many have seen a race, and very few people actually raise their hand compared to the number of people in the theatre.

"When we finish and we ask how many of you would like to go see a race now, literally every single hand goes up. And so we think there's a huge, huge opportunity to grow the sport all over the world with this movie, and I think it will do that."

F1 is set to hit theatres on 25 June globally and two days later in the US.