Following the success of the F1 movie
The film starring Brad Pitt, “F1: The Movie”, and to a slightly lesser extent (and no less successful) also “Drive To Survive”, have accustomed us to the story of Formula 1 on cinema screens and beyond through massive productions. However, the success of the top motor racing series also in North America has brought out a more genuine and authentic desire for stories, more or less true and fictionalized, related to racing: thus, while waiting for a sequel to the Oscar-winning film – Stefano Domenicali confirmed in a press conference that there is a study underway for the writing of a subject worth telling – smaller and lower-budget projects have emerged and will emerge, which may still win the favor of enthusiasts. The latest in chronological order is the film about the life of Gilles Villeneuve, which will be released in Canada on November 11.
Details of the (small) Canadian film about Gilles Villeneuve
It is titled “Gilles Villeneuve: Rise of a Champion” (translated, the rise of a champion), produced by Entract Films and distributed by the small independent Canadian distributor Les Films Opale, who have recently released the official trailer of the film, which will be part of the closing gala of the Toronto Film Festival and will therefore be premiered at the film event scheduled in Ontario from September 10 to 20. The Aviator is portrayed by Remi Goulet, a 29-year-old actor from Quebec practically unknown internationally but who, in fact, does not hide a certain physical resemblance to the unforgettable Canadian former Ferrari driver.
F1, the trailer of the film “Gilles Villeneuve: Rise of a Champion”
Below is the official trailer of the film.
However, the film will not tell the entire F1 career of Gilles, but rather his beginnings in snowmobile racing and Formula Atlantic, although it is credible that the final phase also addresses the Formula 1 theme since the cast includes counterparts of Enzo Ferrari (Frank Crudele), James Hunt (Neil Webb) who was Villeneuve’s first teammate at his debut with McLaren in 1977, and even engineer Mauro Forghieri (Maurizio Terrazzano). However, it does not seem that the feature film has obtained (or tried to obtain) the rights to faithfully reproduce the brands since, at least in the trailer, the scene at the wheel of the Red car does not show the Prancing Horse logo but two partially overlapping “D”s (cover photo).
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Otherwise, from the trailer it appears that the film is acted in French and English, although there is no detailed information yet on international distribution beyond the local one nor on possible adaptations in other languages. It is likely that the possible success at the Toronto Film Festival will decide the fate of the film’s arrival in cinemas or on streaming platforms also outside Canada.
A troubled production: will it come to us too?
“Gilles Villeneuve: Rise of a Champion” has also had a troubled gestation, as reported several months ago by ItaliaRacing. The original director Daniel Roby actually abandoned the work in progress due to irreconcilable differences with the production and, under the new and current director, Yann Lanouette Turgeon, costs have increased – we are talking about more than 15 million Canadian dollars (almost 7.5 million euros), not a small amount for a Quebec production – and timing, so much so that the biopic about the Aviator’s life was supposed to be released two years ago. However, this is not the only recent experiment of low budget productions for films or series about F1: in November 2024 Netflix released the Brazilian series “Senna” while in Bulgaria the project of “The Kaiser” is taking shape, a 25-minute short film about the beginnings of Michael Schumacher.
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