Summary

• Pitt & Cruise were originally considered for Ford v. Ferrari, but Damon and Bale delivered exceptional performances.
• Budget conflicts led to the original version of the film "Go Like Hell" falling apart.
• Ford v. Ferrari's success could have been even bigger with Pitt and Cruise in the lead roles.

The original casting choices for Ford v. Ferrari might have made the critically acclaimed film even more of a box office hit. Ford v. Ferrari stars Matt Damon and Christian Bale as Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles, two real-life legends of the Ford automobile brand and racing team. Surprisingly, it was the first movie to pair the two iconic Oscar-winning actors on screen. It was nominated for 4 Academy Awards at the 2020 Oscars, including Best Picture of the Year, taking home the trophies for Best Film Editing and Best Sound Editing.

Directed by James Mangold (Logan, 3:10 to Yuma, Walk the Line, Girl, Interrupted), Ford v. Ferrari was written by Jason Keller (Escape Plan), Jez & John-Henry Butterworth (Edge of Tomorrow). Ford v. Ferrari is based on the true story of Carroll Shelby, a notable car designer, who enlists Ken Miles to race a revolutionary Ford car during the legendary 24 Hours of Le Mans in 1966. Ford v. Ferrari was a critical success, earning a score of 92% on Rotten Tomatoes, and also features performances by Jon Bernthal, Josh Lucas, and Caitríona Balfe. The onscreen chemistry between Bale and Damon is just one of the great aspects of the film.

Ford v. Ferrari Was Originally Planned For Brad Pitt & Tom Cruise - Why It Didn't Happen

The original version of the film titled "Go Like Hell" fell apart due to budget conflicts

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the roles that Bale and Damon play in Ford v. Ferrari were originally meant to go to Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise. Pitt was slated to portray the hotshot racer Ken Miles, while Cruise was expected to play Caroll Shelby back in 2013. Joseph Kosinski, who directed Cruise in Oblivion (2013) and Top Gun: Maverick (2022), was previously meant to direct the film that would become Mangold's Ford v. Ferrari. Acclaimed director Michael Mann (Ferrari, Heist, Collateral, The Insider) was also attached to direct the project back in 2009, which is when Pitt was rumored to be involved.

The film's original title was Go Like Hell, which was an adaptation of the 2009 book Go Like Hell: Ford, Ferrari and Their Battle for Speed and Glory at Le Mans written by A. J. Baime. Regardless of its title, the heartbeat of the film makes it truly feel like a Cruise or Pitt action flick, although that version of the movie never came to be due to budget conflicts. According to IndieWire, Kosinski revealed, "I got to the point where I had Tom Cruise and Brad Pitt at a table read, reading the script together. But we couldn’t get the budget to the number it had to be at, and it was the right number. So that was the one for me that got away."

Pitt & Cruise Could've Made Ford v. Ferrari An Even Bigger Hit

It could have ranked higher on the historic 2019 box office list

2019 was a massive year for theatrical releases, with nine of the ten highest-grossing films of the year earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office.

Bale and Damon proved to be incredible in each of their respective roles, which was a big part of Ford v. Ferrari's critical acclaim and box office success. The film earned more than $224 million at the worldwide box office against a production budget of $97.6 million (via The Numbers). There is no reason to critique Ford v. Ferrari for what it could have been, given its success at the box office and the 2020 Academy Awards. If Pitt and Cruise had been the lead actors, however, Ford v. Ferrari or "Go Like Hell" might have had an even more impressive box office showing in a historic year at the movies.

2019 was a massive year for theatrical releases, with nine of the ten highest-grossing films of the year earning more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. Since then, only 6 movies have made more than $1 billion at the worldwide box office. With its $224 million box office performance, Ford v. Ferrari ranked 40th on the list of highest-grossing movies of 2019. With Pitt and Cruise in the driver's seats, that total may have doubled or even skyrocketed to massive heights close to the top 10 films of the year. While it wasn't an incredible success like Joker (2019) or The Lion King (2019), Ford v. Ferrari was still a great success.

Ford v. Ferrari is currently streaming on Apple TV+.

Ford v. Ferrari's Casting Worked Out Brilliantly

Damon and Bale are naturally excellent in their roles

Ford v. Ferrari's casting worked out brilliantly for both Bale and Damon, who were both exceptional and convincing in their roles. While Cruise and Pitt's first onscreen reunion since 1994's Interview With The Vampire would have been more of a monumental movie-going event, Ford v. Ferrari as it stands is a truly great movie. If Pitt had signed on for Ford v. Ferrari, it may have interfered with his star role in Quentin Tarantino's Once Upon a Time In Hollywood (2019). The same goes for Cruise, whose Top Gun: Maverick began production in 2018. All things considered, Damon and Bale's involvement in Ford v. Ferrari turned out for the better.

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, IndieWire, The Numbers