Following the recent news round up we have a new twist to Michael Mann's future directorial roles. According to
Variety Mann is in talks with 20th Century Fox to film "
Go Like Hell", a true story by A.J. Baime depicting the USA's first victory at the famous 1966 Le Mans race, with Ford succeeding, pitted against the "unbeatable" Ferrari. America loves their "USA rules the world" flicks and this one will no doubt score a home run in the USA. Petrol's version of the Ryder Cup perhaps. Brad Pitt's name has been attached to the project as a lead, but no casting information has been released.
It has become difficult to speculate what Mann's next film will actually be... it's as though Mann is throwing us lots of decoys for fun! I suspect though he is like a kid in a candy shop and really can't make his mind up. What a privilege for him to be in such a situation. At this time of life for him, his choices are so important.
Agincourt is now looking most likely. Mann will no doubt be thinking of his own mortality, and a large scale, big budget film, such as this medieval adventure, will require enormous energy. It may be one of his last opportunities to do something on that potentially vast scale.
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| A.J. Baime |
Mann has already worked with cars in successful commercials with
Mercedes and latterly
Ferrari. No doubt the prospective makers will be looking at the success of the present offering "
Senna", a documentary film about Ayrton Senna, the late, legendary Formula One racing World Champion who was killed in a race because of a tragic mechanical failure. I actually saw Ayrton Senna race at Silverstone, England and could clearly see him push the limits of his car to the maximum. Formula One is really a European/Asian passion rather than a US one at present, but this is set to change once the USA has built it's new track in Arizona.
Michael Mann has always had an affection for cars, especially Ferraris, owning one himself. They were an iconic feature of the TV version of Miami Vice. They are another paint brush in Mann's hands, using them to reflect character and style of those in his films. In Miami Vice the movie, back in 2006, there was an early scene of men and attractive women arriving at the nightclub in white Range Rovers. It was startling to me at the time. Glistening white. Of interest to me is the fact that, in the UK at least, white is now the most fashionable colour for cars. Range Rovers, Audi's, Mercedes, Volvos, BMW's and you name it... white is in. Mann reads the times well.
I digress... I think Michael Mann has lots of wonderful material to choose from. Whatever he does, I am sure we will love it. If Mann does Agincourt, and if it means the English beat the French, then what can make an English Michael Mann fan happier? (I love the French really... well their bread anyway).
