The first trailer for Ford v. Ferrari is officially released online. Starring Matt Damon as automotive visionary Carroll Shelby and Christian Bale as race car driver Ken Miles, the film chronicles the true story of the heated competition between Ford and Ferrari to win the 1966 Le Mans. It had been development for a number of years and was at one point envisioned as a potential vehicle (no pun) for Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt. Things finally picked up in 2018 when Logan director James Mangold signed on to call the shots and production began in July of that year.
Considering the pedigree on both sides of the camera, Ford v. Ferrari is seen by some as a possible awards contender in the earliest days of this year’s Oscar discussion. Fox certainly seems to feel that way too, having slated the film for release in November. With a handful of months remaining until Ford v. Ferrari hits theaters, the studio is finally kicking off the marketing campaign. Earlier this week, the film’s first poster was unveiled, and now cinephiles have an opportunity to see some footage.
Tonight during Game 2 of the 2019 NBA Finals, Fox (who, as you may recall, is now officially under the Disney umbrella) premiered the first Ford v. Ferrari trailer. Watch it for yourself in the space below:
The trailer does a good job of establishing the main narrative of the film; Henry Ford II (Tracy Letts) wants to beat Ferrari at Le Mans and Shelby is recruited to help construct an all-new car that could accomplish that goal. But, as Shelby notes, it’ll take more than a miracle of engineering, which is why Miles is so integral to the plan. Bale, coming off another Oscar nomination for his performance as Dick Cheney in Vice, once again disappears into a role and demonstrates his chameleon-like abilities. Viewers get only a taste of his turn here, but it looks like it’ll be another compelling one. In real life, Miles and Shelby were close associates, an aspect Ford v. Ferrari should cover in detail. The trailer hints at the pair’s friendship, with Damon and Bale playing off each other nicely in a couple of scenes.
It’s obviously too early to tell if Ford v. Ferrari will indeed be one of the ones to watch this awards season, but the film seems very promising so far. Not only is the cast giving it their all, Mangold is one of the more consistent directors working today, with quality works like the aforementioned Logan, Walk the Line, and 3:10 to Yuma under his belt. He’s at his best when he’s working with character-driven drama, so he should be in his element with Ford v. Ferrari. Hopefully, the final product can live up to its on-paper potential.
More: Screen Rant’s 2020 Best Picture Predictions
Source: 20th Century Fox
- Ferrari Release Date: 2019-11-15
