Michael Mann’s ‘Ferrari’ Trailer Teases Motorsports Thriller

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The Ferrari Cinematic Universe (FCU) sees a new entry, and it promises plenty of deliciously angry engine noises.

In case you haven't noticed, we're in the midst of an unexpected wave of films about auto industry titans. Just months after the release of Lamborghini: The Man behind the Legend with Gabriel Byrne in the title role, and the 2019 hit Ford v Ferrari, starring Matt Damon as Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as Ken Miles, the upcoming 2023 epic will be the third major film featuring Enzo Ferrari in just five years.

Back in 2003 in yet another film titled Ferrari, Enzo was played by Sergio Castellitto, while in 2013's Rush he was portrayed in a cameo role by Augusto Dallara.

Is this technically enough appearances for a Ferrari Cinematic Universe (FCU)? A Ferrari theme park already exists in Abu Dhabi, which is more than we can say for some other superhero film franchises.

Director Michael Mann, finally turning his attention away from heist and hitman thrillers, now helms the latest, brooding look at Enzo Ferrari's career circa 1957, with the 2023 film based on Brock Yates' 1991 biography, Enzo Ferrari: The Man and the Machine.

"Ferrari is set during the summer of 1957. Behind the spectacle and danger of 1950's Formula 1, ex-racer Enzo Ferrari, is in crisis," production company Neon says, setting the stage. "Bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife, Laura, built from nothing 10 years earlier. Their tempestuous marriage struggles with the mourning for their one son. Ferrari struggles with the acknowledgement of another."

The 1957 Mille Miglia duel will likely play the role of the trademark Michael Mann gun battle, with plenty of angry engine noises.

As Mann is known for his examination of intensely driven men in very stylish suits, it's safe to say we're in for a nail-biting experience in this film with a heart-pounding musical score to match, if not quite a deafening gun battle. But it's clear from the trailer that the cars will provide an even more dramatic musical score, with Mann's focus on sound design evident in his prior work.

Ferrari stars a somewhat unlikely Adam Driver in the title role, playing a slightly older Enzo Ferrari than one would imagine him playing thanks to some prosthetics, with Penelope Cruz taking on the role of his wife Laura Ferrari.

Shailene Woodley, Patrick Dempsey, Gabriel Leone, Sarah Gadon, and Jack O'Connell round out the stellar cast.

Ferrari opens December 25, 2023.

Jay Ramey grew up around very strange European cars, and instead of seeking out something reliable and comfortable for his own personal use he has been drawn to the more adventurous side of the dependability spectrum. Despite being followed around by French cars for the past decade, he has somehow been able to avoid Citroën ownership, judging them too commonplace, and is currently looking at cars from the former Czechoslovakia. Jay has been with Autoweek since 2013.

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