Kylo Ren actor to star as Enzo Ferrari in upcoming biopic

Adam Driver to play the late Enzo Ferrari in Michael Mann film

Two years ago, AutoIndustriya.com reported that Wolverine star Hugh Jackman was apparently in talks to play the late Enzo Ferrari in an upcoming biopic that will be directed by Michael Mann. However, it seems Jackman will not be taking on the role of the man behind The Prancing Horse after all.

Instead, the lead role has been given to Adam Driver, and the first image of him as Enzo Ferrari has just been revealed on the internet. Wearing Ferrari’s signature glasses, slicked-backed graying hair, and a black and white suit, Adam Driver looks the part of the late founder of the Maranello brand.

Since the biopic will feature both ups and downs in Ferrari’s tumultuous life, one can expect the movie to be filled with drama instead of just about cars. According to our previous report, the movie script is based on a book by Brock Yates, “Enzo Ferrari - The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine”. Combined with the fact it will be set in the summer of 1957, a crucial time for the Prancing Horse, it looks like we’ll be seeing another side of Enzo Ferrari.

Based on the official synopsis, Ferrari is in crisis as bankruptcy stalks the company he and his wife (Laura Dominica Garello Ferrari) built from nothing in 1947. Their marriage is also tested after the death of one of their sons and the acknowledgment of another. In order to counter the losses, Enzo Ferrari decides to roll the dice by entering the Mille Miglia 1,000-mile race across Italy.

As mentioned earlier, the film is being directed by Michael Mann, a filmmaker known for making action thrillers and suspenseful dramas. From movies such as Heat, Public Enemies, Ali, and Collateral, Mann has proven he knows how to make engaging and gritty films. He even served as an executive producer for Ford v Ferrari which won two awards at the 92nd Academy Awards.

Production for the film initially started last August and is currently filming on location in Italy. Aside from Driver starring as Ferrari, the film will also star Penelope Cruz as Laura Ferrari, Shailene Woodley as Lina Lardi (Enzo’s mistress), Patrick Dempsey as racing driver Piero Taruffi, Jack O’ Connel as racing driver Peter Collins, Sarah Gadon as Linda Chrisitan, and Gabriele Leone as the charismatic Fon De Portago.

This will not be Adam Driver's first time playing an Italian character. Driver’s first Italian role was in last year’s House of Gucci by Ridley Scott. There, Adam Driver starred as Maurizio Gucci who was assassinated at 46 years old in a plot set up by his wife Patrizia Reggiani who was portrayed by Lady Gaga.

With an ensemble cast and a script that could be Oscar-worthy, we can’t wait for the first trailer to drop for the upcoming Enzo Ferrari biopic from Michael Mann.