Logan director James Mangold has been signed on by 20th Century Fox to direct a film about the competition between Ford and Ferrari to create the world’s greatest sports car. According to Variety, the film will follow Carroll Shelby and his British driver, Ken Miles, as they are tasked by Henry Ford II with creating a new automobile from scratch that will outperform Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship. Le Mans is often called the “Grand Prix of Endurance and Efficiency,” so while being the fastest is certainly a priority, stamina and performance also play key roles in determining the victor.
Mangold will be working with screenwriters Jez and John-Henry Butterworth, who are best known for writing the Tom Cruise film Edge of Tomorrow. The Untitled Ford vs. Ferrari Film is currently lacking a title and a cast, though Variety’s sources say that Christian Bale and Matt Damon are a few of the potential stars being discussed.
Aside from the critically acclaimed Logan, Mangold has directed The Wolverine, Knight and Day, 3:10 to Yuma, and Walk the Line. He was previously attached to a biopic about Patty Hearst, but that got canceled when Hearst released a statement condemning the producers for basing the movie on what she considered to be a one-sided, unauthorized book. Mangold is currently slated to direct Crenshaw, which is about a boy and his giant imaginary cat, and The Force, which is about a corrupt New York cop and most definitely does not take place in a galaxy far, far away.
Untitled Ford vs. Ferrari Film (might we suggest 2 Ford 2 Ferrari or Drive Free or Die Hard as working titles) does not currently have a release date.