HJ to Play Enzo Ferrari

[mamaleh]

Director is Michael Mann; film set to start summer of 2018. They've been in talks for a while, according to Deadline. Hope this comes together as planned.

deadline.com/2017/03/hugh-jackman-michael-mann-noomi-rapace-ferrari-1202039278/

Great casting--he sure gets our engines racing!

Ellen

[jo]

Ecstatic!!

Sono una tifosa della Ferrari!

That's all I can say -- I am a fan of Ferrari


And of Hugh Jackman, by the way


Jo

[jo]

May I resurrect bits and pieces from the topic JACKMAN FILM ROLE RUMORS

Jeff Sneider
Verified account
‏@theinsneider Nov 14
Hearing HUGH JACKMAN may get behind the wheel for Michael Mann's ENZO FERRARI movie, which may or may not get made anytime soon...


EDIT: It looks like Jeff Sneider who posted the public tweet, may be a reliable source. His background is in film reporting and film blogging ( AICN, Variety, The Wrap, and now @mashable).


We'll see how this rumor turns out


*****************************************************************************



I wonder if he and Patrick Whitesell were discussing this when they met for the UFC205 fights at Madison Square Garden. They seemed to have arrived at about the same time for the event (November 12) and could have had some business meetings before going to MSG?

If this is true, and even if is not going to happen soon -- I am going to be over the moon about it! I am a great fan of The Prancing Horse ( the Ferrari symbol) and Hugh in a biopic of the great carmaker ( and early car racer... and founder of the Scuderia Ferrari racing team) is going to be a tremendous project announcement for me!


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_Ferrari

Enzo Anselmo Ferrari, Cavaliere di Gran Croce OMRI[2] (Italian pronunciation: [ˈɛntso anˈsɛlmo ferˈraːri]; 18 February 1898[3] – 14 August 1988) was an Italian motor racing driver and entrepreneur, the founder of the Scuderia Ferrari Grand Prix motor racing team, and subsequently of the Ferrari automobile marque. He was widely known as "il Commendatore" or "il Drake". In his final years he was often referred to as "l'Ingegnere" or "il Grande Vecchio (the Great Old Man)"...




In the 1920's




First from left -- in 1933




Center, in 1953




At Monza for the Italian Grand Prix in 1967)



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jo
Ensemble


Post by jo on Nov 16, 2016 at 1:30pm
The first one cast for the role was Christian Bale who bailed out because he said he could not cope with the weight gain requirements in such a short time. From this report on Deadline.com in January 2016 --


deadline.com/2016/01/christian-bale-exits-michael-mann-enzo-ferrari-over-health-concerns-1201684066/

While Bale’s exit is a blow, the project remains very much on track, with Paramount distributing in most territories. The combination of Mann, subject matter and role should lend itself to finding another top actor shortly. Vendian Entertainment and Bliss Media are financing the project, with plans to shoot this summer in Italy. Bliss Media China will distribute Enzo Ferrari in China.

The story takes place in one pivotal year, 1957. It is the highly personal account of Ferrari faced with a convergence of dilemmas at a critical time. The script by Troy Kennedy-Martin (The Italian Job and Edge Of Darkness) was revised by David Rayfiel (The Firm) and Mann. It’s based on the Brock Yates book Enzo Ferrari, The Man, The Cars, The Races. Mann’s reps at CAA arranged financing for the film and brokered the distribution deals. Mann has been working on Enzo Ferrari for 15 years, initially shaping it with the late Sydney Pollack....




If this is based on the above, Enzo would have been 59 at around that time.


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jo
Ensemble


Post by jo on Nov 16, 2016 at 1:50pm
per Wikipedia, this is what happened in 1957 --


en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enzo_Ferrari


Ferrari's decision to continue racing in the Mille Miglia brought the company new victories and greatly increased public recognition. However, increasing speeds, poor roads, and nonexistent crowd protection eventually spelled disaster for both the race and Ferrari. During the 1957 Mille Miglia, near the town of Guidizzolo, a 4.0-litre Ferrari 335S driven by Alfonso de Portago was traveling at 250 km/h when it blew a tyre and crashed into the roadside crowd, killing de Portago, his co-driver and nine spectators, five of whom were children. In response, Enzo Ferrari and Englebert, the tyre manufacturer, were charged with manslaughter in a lengthy criminal prosecution that was finally dismissed in 1961.




It looks like it will be full-on drama!

Jo


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jo
Ensemble



Post by jo on Nov 16, 2016 at 1:56pm
The man was no angel!

This is an Amazon.com editorial summary of the book ENZO FERRARI : THE MAN, THE CARS, THE RACES by Brock Yates --

From Publishers Weekly

To his legion of admirers, Italian auto titan Enzo Ferrari (1898-1988) was a genius who personally created marvelous cars of advanced design. But as Car and Driver columnist Yates points out in this captivating, demythologizing biography, none of Ferrari's racing cars "was a glittering example of daring technology," and he had almost no hand in the making of the later road cars that bore his name. Revealed as a hot-tempered megalomaniac given to loud belching and countless amorous conquests, Ferrari fathered an illegitimate child and led a shadowy second life as a respite from the "simmering hatred" of his marriage. He portrayed himself as a loyal "motorized knight-errant," defending Italy's national honor, but in Yates's esimate he was interested solely in winning races and sometimes pushed his drivers to dangerous extremes. Yates deftly records the carnage of major races, business wheeling and dealing, and the political dimensions of motor racing from the pre-WW II Rome-Berlin Axis to today's ribbon-waving nationalism. Photos.
Copyright 1991 Reed Business Information, Inc.




This is going to be a very interesting portrayal!


Jo



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mamaleh
Pit Singer

Post by mamaleh on Nov 16, 2016 at 2:43pm
I like when HJ plays less than honorable characters; such roles reveal other dimensions to his talents. That's probably why DECEPTION is such a guilty pleasure for me.

Ellen


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jo
Ensemble



Post by jo on Nov 16, 2016 at 6:32pm
After Bale bailed out, here was a short account on director Michael Mann's Ferrari film project in February 2016 --

www.indiewire.com/2016/02/listen-michael-mann-talks-changes-to-blackhat-last-of-the-mohicans-possible-sci-fi-project-in-1-hour-talk-270374/

As for the Enzo Ferrari movie that he’s recasting (Christian Bale dropped out recently), it’s definitely not a cradle to grave biopic. “It’s the exact opposite [of a biopic]. It’s a very narrow slice of one year in his life, so it’s really an opera, a family drama,” Mann explained. “[Ferrari] literally had two house holds functioning simultaneously. He lived in town that he had two opera companies, two football teams and two race car manufacturers. And they all knew each other and cut each other up with a strafing wit. And everything was always in crisis and it got worse in 1957.” Note, Mann says he’s in talks with a new actor to take the part, but wouldn’t reveal who that is at the moment.

[jo]

May I reprint the Deadline exclusive ?

Michael Mann Revs ‘Ferrari’ With Hugh Jackman & Noomi Rapace
by Anthony D'Alessandro
and Mike Fleming Jr

March 8, 2017 11:13am


EXCLUSIVE: Michael Mann’s Ferrari is revving again, with Hugh Jackman now in talks to play Enzo Ferrari, and Noomi Rapace to play his estranged wife Linda. Their relationship, as fiery and combustible as the race cars that Ferrari designed, plays a big part in the script Mann wrote. They have loosely been discussing this teaming for months, and now things are starting to move for a summer 2018 production start. This comes as Jackman’s final Wolverine turn, Logan, has become a box office juggernaut, grossing north of $250 million worldwide in its first week and about to pass $100 million in domestic grosses.



REX/Shutterstock

Ferrari is the drama Mann started in partnership with the late director Sydney Pollack almost 17 years ago. The film takes place in 1957, a year where passion, failure, success and death and life all collided in Ferrari’s battle for supremacy against rival Maserati. Christian Bale was going to play Ferrari two years ago, but developed health concerns when he began putting on weight. That should be easier for Jackman. He is a close physical match for Ferrari, and no longer has to obsessively count every calorie and bench press rep. Never has a star showed up as consistently ripped for such a sustained period, as Jackman has for the entirety of his Wolverine appearances in the X-Men films and the spinoff trilogy that concluded with Logan. The reward here could be a few bowls of pasta, playing the Italian automotive icon.

[jo]

Interesting aspects, if they still hold true --

*Paramount will distribute the movie -- guess who is supposed to take over the ailing studio? Jim Gianopulos!

*Partnership with China -- that will ensure distribution of the film in China! Btw, there is a Formula One China Grand Prix!

Jo

[jo]

Enzo Ferrari was a very strong character!

This is going to be a very interesting character portrayal by Hugh...more drama than spectacle -- although it is likely they will include many racing scenes from Monza ( the racing circuit known as the TEMPLE OF RACING in Formula One -- also known as the fastest racing circuit in the calendar).

But Hugh as Ferrari will not be racing ( unless there are flashbacks to his racing days and they show Hugh in an old Alfa Romeo or maybe even an earlyFerrari -- there are still many of these vintage cars) -- because the story takes place when Enzo was no longer doing that. He will be in his 50's and becoming the most famous car manufacturer in the racing circuit. I think Formula One started racing in 1950 or thereabouts.


Racing for another chance of an Oscar


PS: Hope this is confirmed soon!

Forza Ferrari!
Forza Jackman!

Jo

[jo]

Who might be interested to watch the movie?

Someone commented on the Deadline story --

Denver • 4 hours ago
mann has made some good movies absolutely but my god, black hat was a colossal failure… public emenies was just a regular failure and maimi vice was a monumental failure… creatively and at the boxoffice. i know he has a history of some great movies but they also cost too much and don’t make a lot of money even when they are really great like the insider… he’s gonna spend 100 million making a movie about someone very few are interested in and IF it’s good, will never make back it’s investment. i’d like to see some of these directors go back to simplicity… M Knight was forced into it and he found himself again with the visit and now Split… Mann and some others have moved so far from where they started and has become so meticulous and out of touch it’s kind of sad. or am I crazy and this sound awesome and he knows what he’s doing?

Ferrari is a name who was a "god" in racing and which ( the road car and the racing car) is the epitome of manly worship ... The King of Spain once went to the factory in Maranello/Modena in Italy just to pick up his order of a FERRARI road car!

It is the only sport that is held on an international calendar and aired on TV the world over --

The 2017 calendar in full
March 26 - Australia (Melbourne)
April 9 - China (Shanghai)
April 16 - Bahrain (Bahrain)
April 30 - Russia (Sochi)
May 14 - Spain (Barcelona)
May 28 - Monaco (Monte Carlo)
June 11 - Canada (Montreal)
June 25 - Azerbaijan (Baku)
July 9 - Austria (Spielberg)
July 16 - Great Britain (Silverstone)
July 30 - Hungary (Budapest)
August 27 - Belgium (Spa-Francorchamps)
September 3 - Italy (Monza)
September 17 - Singapore (Singapore)
October 1 - Malaysia (Sepang)
October 8 - Japan (Suzuka)
October 22 - USA (Austin)
October 29 - Mexico (Mexico City)
November 12 - Brazil (Sao Paulo)
November 26 - Abu Dhabi (Abu Dhabi)

I have been to 2 races in Monaco ( such atmosphere!) and once in Montreal

I still post occasionally on the largest racing message board (Autosport/ Atlas) for Formula 1!

forums.autosport.com/index.php


Jo

[jo]

screencrush.com/hugh-jackman-ferrari-biopic-michael-mann/


This is getting to be interesting --

According to Deadline, Jackman is in talks to star as the middle-aged sports car driver opposite Noomi Rapace. Though the report notes Rapace is in talks to play Linda, described as Ferrari’s “estranged wife,” this might actually mean Ferrari’s mistress Lina Lardi (his wife’s name was Laura Garello).

The project, which has long been in development, will have a script by Mann based on the book Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races by Brock Yates. The film will be set in 1957, which Deadline describes as “a year where passion, failure, success and death and life all collided.” We can only guess it will chart the affair between Enzo and Lina, the death of his son in 1956, and his rivalry with Maserati.

And a fat Hugh ??

www.joblo.com/movie-news/hugh-jackman-and-noomi-rapace-sign-on-for-michael-mann-s-ferrari-701

Hugh Jackman and Noomi Rapace sign on for Michael Mann's Ferrari
3 hours agoby: Sean Wist




What begun as a shared project between Michael Mann and the late Sydney Pollack is finally coming to fruition, as FERRARI has gotten its two leads in Hugh Jackman and Noomi Rapace. Playing Enzo Ferrari and his estranged wife, respectively, the two will be featured heavily together in the drama that follows their relationship, as well as the cars Enzo designed, in the year 1957. Christina (sic) Bale was originally attached to star, but concerns were expressed in regards to putting on weight to play the role. Now that Jackman is cleared, production is expected to begin in the summer of 2018.

Michael Mann's (BLACKHAT, PUBLIC ENEMIES) recent directorial efforts haven't made the impact that his earlier films have, but that doesn't change the fact that the man really does his homework when it comes to the projects he takes on. This is a film that's been "in development" for some time, and I'm excited to see it finally happen with someone like Hugh Jackman at the helm. Jackman's always been a solid actor, and a vehicle like this should prove to show the world what else he can do outside of the X-universe.

Fat and with a mistress -- how could you, Hugh Jackman

www.avclub.com/article/hugh-jackman-talks-huge-non-jacked-mann-role-251717

The reported reason was health concerns about the amount of weight Bale would have to put on to play a middle-aged Ferrari; the English actor has already had to lose and gain a few hundred combined pounds of fat and muscle over the course of his career. Jackman (who, as Deadline notes, is roughly as tall as Ferrari) has spent the past 17 years getting increasingly more ripped just in case someone felt like making an X-Men movie, and is probably more than happy to get out of shape.

Ferrari is now looking to start filming next summer. Noomi Rapace is in talks to play Enzo Ferrari’s longtime mistress Lina Lardi in the film, which is set in the mid-1950s and focuses on Ferrari’s personal struggles (including, presumably, the death of his son in 1956), as well as his rivalry with Maserati.

[mamaleh]

Jo, you are a veritable font of information. What a life he led!

By the way, I deliberately didn't put my earlier posting on this movie in the "rumored film roles" thread because it seemed pretty much like a done deal, thereby necessitating a new thread.

It will be very interesting to see Hugh's late middle-age makeup and possibly pasta-filled form on screen.

Ellen

[jo]

Late middle-age makeup ? We already saw that in LOGAN ...Although technically he was closing in on 200 years of age in LOGAN - lol!

Pasta-filled form ? Hugh loves pasta, doesn't he?!! Actually, if I remember correctly, athletes before a race (Formula 1) or a match ( tennis), are known to eat only pasta before the strenuous event ( where they can lose quite a number of pounds in the actual sports event).

But I am glad that Hugh is taking on an excellent character role, especially in the light of this Amazon summary of the Yates book ( on which the drama will be largely based) --

But as Car and Driver columnist Yates points out in this captivating, demythologizing biography, none of Ferrari's racing cars "was a glittering example of daring technology," and he had almost no hand in the making of the later road cars that bore his name. Revealed as a hot-tempered megalomaniac given to loud belching and countless amorous conquests, Ferrari fathered an illegitimate child and led a shadowy second life as a respite from the "simmering hatred" of his marriage. He portrayed himself as a loyal "motorized knight-errant," defending Italy's national honor, but in Yates's esimate he was interested solely in winning races and sometimes pushed his drivers to dangerous extremes. Yates deftly records the carnage of major races, business wheeling and dealing, and the political dimensions of motor racing from the pre-WW II Rome-Berlin Axis to today's ribbon-waving nationalism. Photos.

The illegitimate son, Piero Ferrari, was his only surviving kid and is now representing the family in business dealings. Ferrari is linked with the Fiat group, whose part owners included the charismatic and ultimate playboy of the Western world ( Gianni Agnelli) -- now that is another part that would have been a challenge to Hugh -- the ultimate manly symbol of manliness and worldly sophistication!

But Enzo Ferrari is probably the more colorful character! We got used to Wolverine's swearing and angry outbursts ( haha, that ADR scene posted by Hugh on Instagram, now with 2.7 million hits, which represented the ultimate in the need for anger management for Wolverine)...but an amorous character -- hey, that sounds more like the villain from Deception, Ellen ( although Wyatt B was much more calculating!)?

Hope this is another wonderful exhibition of Hugh's versatile acting talent!


Hope this gets confirmed...and all the signatures completed. Do we have to watch if Hugh takes another trip to LA/Hollywood or has he already done that quietly


Jo

[jo]

So, no dancing Logan-and-Laura soon




Enzo, first!


Jo

[jo]

Unless they are confused...or got the information on their own... SFGate (San Francisco Chronicle) says the film is set for a tentative summer 2018 release? Wow - if true, they should have a world premiere at the Monaco Grand Prix in Monte Carlo. Hey, Charlotte Casiraghi. who is a niece of the ruling monarch, Prince Albert , can play host to her Montblanc co-brand ambassador Hugh Jackman!

www.sfgate.com/news/media/Michael-Mann-s-Ferrari-To-Star-Hugh-Jackman-783441.php



On the other hand, like the others, Empire also reports that it is the filming that will start in 2018.

www.empireonline.com/people/hugh-jackman/hugh-jackman-michael-mann-ferrari/


If the script has been ready for sometime now, I wonder what will hold up filming ( assuming Hugh will soon be signing up) at this point? Since this is not focusing on the racing aspects but more on a particular dramatic segment of Enzo's life, it shouldn't be be such a long pre-production and a long shoot?

Or Hugh has other commitments for the rest of 2017 ( other than the promo for GREATEST SHOWMAN happening most likely in December)?


Jo

[jo]

Ahem!

http://instagram.com/p/BNCPJaTjiJ0

http://instagram.com/p/BNDG5HFD_lE

Hugh driving a Ferrari for a Montblanc ad!


And from a previous post on Jackman Ads and Product Placements --

Some HJ Facebook fans say it is a Ferrari, a vintage DINO Ferrari
Robert Laffan Looks like a Ferrari Dino 246GT ...

Jean Christophe Lopez In a dino ferrari,with leather and gloves...



Same observation on HJ's Instagram Page --
daniel_mooi.72Nice gloves Hugh....driving a Ferrari Dino? @thehughjackman



And on the @montblanc Instagram account --
silodrome@montblanc Love the Dino!

This car was named after Enzo's legitimate son, DINO ( formal name was Alfredo, who passed on early).

One of the most coveted is an ENZO from the collection of Ferrari road cars.


Jo

[jo]

Someone is not comfortable with Hugh playing Enzo Ferrari *ROLLEYES*

www.tvovermind.com/movies/id-nervous-hugh-jackman-starring-michael-manns-ferrari-movie

Guess what -- the author is not persuaded that Hugh can do accents, especially the Italian accent!

Hey, Denny in A STEADY RAIN is Italian

Jess Platt will probably act as dialog coach again



Will it be a marked Italian accent -- maybe a tinge but... speaking English ( presumably the dialog for the movie) with a full Italian accent may not be for a world movie-going audience.

Feh-raaaaah-ri...with drawling inflection on the second to the last syllable. Sorry if I murdered the pronunciation

Maybe another road trip for the Jackman family in the Emilia-Romagna region, just like what he did in that southern France road trip before filming Les Miserables? Hugh and Deb were once caught on camera at the airport on their way to the famous Milan furniture fair! Milan will not be too far away!


Jo

[mamaleh]

Nobody spoke with a French accent in LES MIZ. Isn't it pretty common in most American-made movies taking place in European countries that the characters speak in what I would call basically British but with a gentle nod toward the particular country? Gestures and body language often convey more than just pronunciation. While accents may not be his strongest suit, I think he can handle that type of accent very capably. In fact, anything more might sound cartoonish or even offensive.

Ellen

[Deleted]

Enzo Ferrari spoke in Italian with a strong accent of the typical dialect spoken by people born in Modena, city of the Emilia Romagna region and he was not fat, not even as an old man. I remember him tall and robust but not fat, as you can see from the photos. In the last years of his life he was a very sad and lonely man, he was almost completely blind and after the death of his young son Dino, Ferrari had lost the will to live. His whole life has been an extraordinary adventure, I hope Hugh agree to make this film.

[jo]

Are you from Italy, Nina

And are you a racing fan ?

One of the countries that I have loved visiting -- from Milan and the Italian Alps ( Cortezza d'Ampesio?) and Venice in the north to near Modena ( never had a chance to go there, although I was once offered a chance to go to Maranello) to the Tuscany region (Florence, Sienna...not sure if Bologna is part of that region), to Rome and nearby areas and the coastal towns ( Genoa, Portofino), to Sorrento and Capri in the south. I never had a chance to see Sicily and my bucket-list area of Amalfi/Positano.

Enzo is today as much revered by the tifosi (Italian fans) as much as their racing champions! I have been a Ferrari follower ( a tifosa) and a Schumacher fan since 1996 ( that would be 21 years of cheering FORZA FERRARI! ).

I hope they get to film this early on, maybe this year if Hugh has no other commitments? Presumably, the script is practically ready because Bale was supposed to start filming when he bailed out! If it is Paramount and Jim Gianopulos ( Fox's former studio chief and Hugh's close associate due to shared advocacies for the film industry - the MPTF) is finally signed up to head Paramount -- maybe it will be easier to secure a greenlight!

I know it is early days -- but I hope this boosts his Oscar chances for hopefully the end of 2018!


Jo

[jo]

Hugh is about an inch taller than Enzo Ferrari.

[mamaleh]

I hope they don't glom a fake nose on him. Cosmetic changes weren't done for P.T. Barnum, so I'm hopeful.

Ellen

[jo]

What they can't change ( hope they don't try to do it with some sort of prosthetic makeup) -- is the difference in the expression of the eyes. Ferrari seemed to have sad eyes while Hugh's eyes are always glinting or smiling


Jo

[jo]

From the production info site MyEntertainmentWorld --

myentertainmentworld.com/feature-films/

Updated: March 10, 2017 at 3:19 pm EST

Title:Enzo Ferrari
Category:Feature Film
Genre:Biography / Drama
Shoot Date:Summer, 2018
Location:Italy
Story:The film is about Enzo Ferrari, whose family redefined the idea of the high-powered Italian sports car and practically spawned the concept of Formula One racing. Ferrari's ambition to build and race the finest cars in the world amidst the conflicts of two world wars, the rise of fascism in his country and family tragedies left little room for personal relationships.

This site is usually reliable for ballpark information!

*Does this mean the project has been given a greenlight?
*Does this mean that Hugh Jackman is now contractually committed to the project?
*Filming will be in Italy in the summer of 2018


A summer shoot will be a perfect vacation time for Hugh's family ... They are going to enjoy exploring Modena and nearby areas; it is known for history & culture and sports and culinary contributions.

en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Modena

Italy has a different kind of landscape ( its flora is so distinctive -- those cypress trees and the umbrella pines) and of course the medieval look of some its famous cities in the Emilia Romagna region, so it might be difficult to film in other countries even if they do also have racing facilities. Will they allow filming in Ferrari's HQ in Maranello, where Enzo Ferrari used to live himself -- the house is still there and Michael Schumacher was allowed to use it when he was doing track testing... Hope they also shoot some scenes in Monaco ( they always hold the Grand Prix in the third week of May, one week after the Cannes Film Festival) -- it was there where Ferrari was a founding racer of Formula One in 1950, if I am not mistaken.

Hope everything jells for this project soon!

It looks like Hugh is preparing for a post-Wolverine career with films that are highly character-driven!


Jo

[mamaleh]

I'm getting psyched. So hoping everything proceeds smoothly.

Ellen

[Deleted]

Yes Jo, I'm a racing fan :-) Schumacher was the last true champion, the greatest, I break my heart thinking about how it ended for him. I'm from Genoa but I live in Rome, my cousin works in the Ferrari factory, in Maranello. For us Italians it would be a great honor if Hugh plays the role of our Drake. You have visited some of the most beautiful places in my country, Capri, Amalfi and Positano are spectacular, I think you will be enchanted. Sicily is beautiful too, especially Taormina and the Valley of the Temples in Agrigento. Bologna is not part of Tuscany, it's located in the Emilia Romagna, the same region where was born Enzo Ferrari, not so far from Maranello.

[jo]

Nina,

The name "Ferrari" has become synonymous with excellence and beauty! When Robert Downey, Jr., praised how Hugh handled the dying dialog in THE PRESTIGE, he also said that "the movie had a Ferrari of a script", which was a great nod to the automotive legacy that Enzo Ferrari built!

I once had a chance to visit the Ferrari HQ in Maranello -- but sadly, it did not happen. I used to post on the Ferrari message board ( there were about 10,000 of us on that board) and once they chose about 15 fans to be invited to the inauguration of the year's racing cars in Maranello, together with about a hundred media people. But my email came too late for me to be able to work out an Italian visa ( I needed at least 2 weeks), so I had to decline it. LOL -- some fans emailed me "begging" if I could endorse their names as my replacements. So, it did not happen. But I did see Ferrari race live in Monte Carlo twice and once in Montreal. I do remember that we had a chance to see a public display of the racing cars on the street almost across our hotel ( where Kimi Raikkonen used to stay, as proudly shared by the hotel staff) -- I could not get over the fact they were so low and almost small. Such power in such a seeming small vehicle! Btw, we waited for Schumi to return to his hotel ( very near us, too) but he did not return early because he had dinner with his brother Ralf. But I was able to chat briefly with Ross Brawn

Hey, it looks like 2017 might be a good year for the racing team. According to test results the past few days, Ferrari is flying! Vettel and Hamilton seem to be both sandbagging purposely. Of course, nobody actually knows which is the faster of the two now -- Ferrari or Mercedes

Back to the film project -- I hope they do allow filming in the Ferrari HQ -- if Enzo's old house is still there, it would lend so much authenticity to the storytelling. As early as November last year, there was already some leaked info that Hugh was talking to maybe Michael Mann about the project - but I guess he was still heavily involved in the post-production and marketing thrust for LOGAN and was also busy filming THE GREATEST SHOWMAN. If ENZO FERRARI turns out to be the third of another perfect trifecta of film projects for him ( the first one was when his three movies consisting of LES MISERABLES/PRISONERS/DAYS OF FUTURE PAST followed one another on the big screen), it is going to be cause for rejoicing for Jackman fans once again. It is uncanny that of the two mix, one is a superhero movie, another is a movie musical, and the third is a full-on drama! Perfect recipe!

I wonder if there is anything in store after he completes SHOWMAN? It seems LARRIKINS has been cancelled as a film project after new owners of DREAMWORKS took over.

Jo

[jo]

This sounds almost implausible, but there have been a few tweets mentioning that Hugh may be back in Beijing?

Alan‏ @i_am_Alan_44 60m
60 minutes ago

@realhughjackman Were you not supposed to tell us that you were at Beijing airport Because of the chaos it may bring to the airport?

In reply to Hugh Jackman
Steven Xia‏ @np8ts4qfyuflqj6 2h
2 hours ago
@realhughjackman welcome to Beijing

ダウニさん家のコタツネコ(≡^.^≡)♪‏ @reiko196510301 2h
2 hours ago
Hugh Jackman Facebookより。
Passing time in the Beijing airport...

If true... I wonder if it has to do with any formal signing for the ENZO FERRARI film project? The film is partly financed by a Chinese film company specializing in international film financing, production and distribution,called BLISS MEDIA, headquartered in Shanghai ?

www.hollywoodreporter.com/news/chinas-bliss-media-launches-150-894318