A fictional crime film set in the world of Formula 1 featuring Hollywood legend Robert De Niro and Star Wars actor John Boyega will be shown on Netflix.
To be called Formula, the film is about an American F1 driver who gets involved in the mafia and is forced to serve as an escape driver to save his family.
It is to be written, directed and produced by Gerard McMurray, whose previous work includes Burning sands, a Netflix production that was nominated for a Grand Jury Prize at the 2017 and 2018 Sundance Film Festival First purge.
His newly formed company Buppie Productions says it “develops and produces fun stories with black characters for a film and television audience.”
He adds: “Our company is constantly reinventing itself while tracing a way of influencing popular culture.
“We are the heroes and the villains, the good boys, the bad boys, the fatal women and the girls next door.”
Other producers include De Niro and his close friend Berry Welsh – who was behind Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed Netflix movie Irishman – and Jane Rosenthal, whose long list of credits includes Bohemian Rhapsody, About a boy, Give it to the dog and the comedy De Niro Meet your parents and its sequels.
The formula is part of a broader agreement that Welsh and Rosenthal have with Netflix.
Few details have been published so far, but McMurray presented a sketch of the plot on Monday in a post on Instagram.
“I feel amazing to see this idea in my head finally come to life that I write, direct and produce,” he wrote.
“My new production company Buppie Productions is teaming up with Tribeca Films and Netflix to bring you an original film, soon to be called Formula with two of my favorite actors, John Boyega and Robert De Niro.
“It’s the story of a young man from Detroit who becomes an international racing star in the world of Formula 1 under the tutelage of his mentor with old mafia ties.”
Boyega became famous in Star Wars awakening the force in 2015, repeating his role as a Finn in The Last Jedi and Rise of Skywalker.
The film will be the first Hollywood production based on contemporary racing of the grand prize of that time Bobby Deerfield, who played the role of Al Pacino and included footage filmed during the 1976 season.