American subscription streaming service Apple TV+ has confirmed a series based on the life of Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur Enzo Ferrari, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque.
The streamer has given a straight to series order to Ferrari, from Peaky Blinders creator Steven Knight and director Stefano Sollima (Without Remorse, Sicario: Day of the Soldado). The drama also counts Lorenzo Mieli (My Brilliant Friend) and Paolo Sorrentino (The Young Pope) among its executive producers.
The series will be inspired by the best-selling biography Ferrari Rex by Luca Dal Monte, published by Giorgio Nada Editore and by Giunti.
“I am thrilled to be telling such an evocative story about this legendary man and his iconic brand,” said British screenwriter and film director Steven Knight in a press release – “Enzo Ferrari’s utterly extraordinary life was defined by his dramatic personal and professional journey, and Ferrari is a celebration of an incredibly complex and fascinating human being.” – he added.
Steven Knight, who also created Apple TV+ original SEE, will focus on a five-year period in Ferrari’s life. Here’s the logline:
“Five years. Five drivers. Five deaths. One trial. In the name of passion, in the pursuit of pure speed. At the center of it all a titanic man, complex and multifaceted, who dedicated his genius to the mission of building the fastest racing car in history. Enzo Ferrari: his name became a boast, an aspiration, and ultimately legend. But there was a trail of tragedy and torment along the way. Between 1956 and 1961, deeply wounded by the tragic death of his firstborn son Dino and by what he considered a betrayal by his lead driver Juan Manuel Fangio, Enzo Ferrari rebuilds his racing team from scratch, selecting five promising rising stars of motor racing to fight for victory.”
“As an Italian I feel honored to get to tell this story of Enzo Ferrari, a shining example of Italian excellence,” said Stefano Sollima. “Through his relationship with Ferrari Spring Team, the five drivers Enzo ‘adopted’ in his Scuderia after the loss of his firstborn son, we will explore the unique qualities, the great genius and the dark obsession that turned this man into a legend.”
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The Apple series becomes the second major projects about Enzo Ferrari in the works. Michael Mann is directing a feature film (also titled Ferrari) that stars Adam Driver, Penelope Cruz and Shailene Woodley. The film has long been a passion project for Mann.
The series order also comes as Formula 1 racing, where Scuderia Ferrari is a major player and the most successful team in the history of the sport, is becoming more and more popular in the United States. The increased coverage (and TV ratings) on ESPN and Netflix’s docuseries Formula 1: Drive to Survive has led the Formula 1 management to organize three events in the United States in the 2023 F1 season.
Apple recently closed a big deal for a feature film starring Brad Pitt set in the racing world, and Hulu is developing a scripted series with driver Daniel Ricciardo.
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