I finally got around to watching the Gran Turismo film this weekend. It wasn’t good, despite having been based on the extremely interesting story of racing driver Jann Mardenborough rising to the podium at Le Mans from a kid who played video games. The story was a great one to adapt to cinema, but it was poorly done and overly-and-unnecessarily dramatized. A few weeks ago I watched a screener of Ferrari, the new Michael Mann film, and it was very good (aside from the horrible CGI video game car physics). It made me sit and think about what great automotive stories haven’t yet been told through the lens of big budget cinema. Rush was good. Ford v. Ferrari was good. What cool car story do I want to pay $17 to see on the big screen?
Is it time for Days of Thunder to get an even grittier and more cocaine-fueled modern remake? Are you excited for the upcoming Elon Musk biopic from A24? Maybe bank on the popularity of Formula 1 and re-do Grand Prix? What do you think? If you had the ear of a Hollywood producer and wanted to make a car movie for around 150 million dollars, what would you pitch?
Personally, I’d like to see the 1983 Car and Driver Sedan Torture Test in Baja, Mexico made into a screwball buddy ensemble adventure comedy in the vein of the first Hangover. That five-day run down the peninsula with all of those famous 1980s car journalists flogging some of the worst cars ever built, it’s just packed with amusing moments, hilarious hijinks, and movie moments. The Dodge 600 hitting a cow? Tussling with La Policia? The Maxima almost completely submerged in stormwater? So many great moments, and getting the right actors to play Brock Yates, Csaba Csere, and Jean Lindamood would be absolutely necessary for success. Who would you cast?
Anyway, here’s your chance. The CEO of Paramount has just stepped onto your elevator, and you’ve got three minutes. What are you pitching?