‘Ferrari’: Neon Acquires Distribution Rights to Adam Driver-led Biopic, Set for Christmas Release
One of the hottest titles of the fall, Michael Mann’s Ferrari, has finally been acquired for distribution. Deadline reports that Neon will be releasing the film in theaters on Christmas Day after a heated bidding war that also included A24, a major studio, and a streamer. STX Entertainment will handle the worldwide distribution.
No specific names were given for the last two, but Apple seems like a good home for a Michael Mann film; however, they already have two awards movies in their hands with Napoleon and Killers of the Flower Moon, so perhaps Amazon emerged as a potential contender. In any case, Neon landed the picture, which is already generating strong buzz and will have its world premiere during the Venice Film Festival. (More festivals will certainly be added soon, with Toronto or Telluride sounding as likely candidates.) Neon CEO and founder Tom Quinn celebrated the purchase with the following statement:
“Michael Mann, one of the most innovative and influential filmmakers in American cinema, was moved by the power of this intensely dramatic story to persist for years to bring it to the big screen. Ferrari reaffirms Neon’s continued commitment to supporting visionary auteurs who push the boundaries of cinema. Working with Michael Mann on Ferrari is a dream come true for Neon.”
The story follows Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, a former Formula One racer with marital problems while mourning the loss of a son and hardly caring for the other, all while the company he founded is speeding into bankruptcy. The film takes place during the summer of 1957, and he will bet it all on winning the iconic Mille Miglia race. Troy Kennedy Martin penned the script, which Heat director Michael Mann helmed. Penélope Cruz is playing Laura Ferrari, Enzo’s wife and the company’s co-founder. Shailene Woodley also is part of the cast as Enzo’s mistress Lina Lardi, along with Jack O’Connell as Peter Collins, Patrick Dempsey as Piero Taruffi, Gabriel Leone as Alfonso De Portago, and Sarah Gadon as Linda Christian.
Ferrari is the latest title to join Neon’s 2023 slate, along with the already-released Infinity Pool, William Oldroyd’s Eileen, starring Anne Hathaway and Thomasin McKenzie, Kitty Green’s The Royal Hotel, led by Julia Garner, and Sanctuary from Zachary Wigon, starring Margaret Qualley and Christopher Abbott. They also have Cannes darlings Anatomy of a Fall (which won the Palme d’Or), by Justine Triet, and Alice Rohrwacher’s La Chimera. The indie studio is on a roll at the French festival after winning the top prize in 2019 (Parasite), 2021 (Titane), 2022 (Triangle of Sadness), and 2023.
Miguel Fernández is a Spanish student that has movies as his second passion in life. His favorite movie of all time is The Lord of the Rings, but he is also a huge Star Wars fan. However, fantasy movies are not his only cup of tea, as authors like Scorsese, Fincher, Kubrick or Hitchcock have been an obsession for him since he started to understand the language of filmmaking. He is that guy who will watch a black and white movie, just because it is in black and white.
