Michael Mann reveals the roles which convinced him to cast Adam Driver in ‘Ferrari’
Ferrari director Michael Mann has explained why he cast Adam Driver in his upcoming biopic of Enzo Ferrari.
The movie delves into the turbulent life of the titular character, portrayed by Driver, as he navigates professional and personal crises during the summer of 1957. Based on true events, the film explores how Ferrari’s factory, built alongside his wife Laura (played by Penélope Cruz), is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Although the lead character is 20 years older than Driver, Mann has revealed he was convinced the actor was the perfect person for the role after seeing him star in Marriage Story alongside Scarlett Johansson.
Speaking to Vulture, Mann said: “His work in Marriage Story. Then the one scene where he’s a bartender in Logan Lucky. I sensed his integrity and fierce artistic ambition. He’s hard on himself. He’s dedicated. If something is not going right, he beats himself up pretty good, and I do the same. Plus he can be very funny on-camera and off. And Enzo was funny.”
In the same interview, Mann also spoke about his plans to make Heat 2 and suggested Driver could star in the motion picture. Last year, the director released a novel which is simultaneously a prequel and sequel to the original movie, which he hopes to convert to the big screen.
Discussing the potential casting, Mann said: “Well, you wouldn’t want to do the same thing. Look, this is a crapshoot. You want to reinvent these characters. There are certain qualifications. You have to be a great fucking actor to play McCauley. I think Adam Driver is a great actor, like De Niro.”
He continued: “Then who’s Hanna, who’s Chris Shiherlis? Who can take it someplace fresh? This is not like the dilemma I had with the film of Miami Vice. In retrospect, you could not win that one. If I had to do it over again, I would’ve tried to command the same budget and not call it Miami Vice.”
Ferrari is set for a UK cinematic release on December 26th. Watch the trailer below.
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