I’m a huge fan of Motorsport, and in particular Formula One. Yes, I know, all you people who know anything about F1 will know it’s in serious trouble at the moment, and I am well aware of that as can be seen from my Blog. However, when the arguing and politics have stopped and the engines are started, the racing can get really exciting, especially in the middle of the pack.
So it really is sad for me to see so little of Motorsport make it to the big screen, Sylvester Stallone‘s attempt, Driven, was far from excellent, and there’s not much else to talk of. That is apart from the greatest movie on the subject ever made, Grand Prix, with Le Mans coming a close second.
Just this morning I read the news from Canoe that the movie of Giles Villeneuve’s racing career has been given the go ahead, and Jacques Villeneuve is supporting it all the way.
the 1997 world champion from Iberville, Que., has finally agreed to participate in a feature film that will look at the human drama in the lives of the father and son Formula One drivers.
The film, simply called Villeneuve, is to begin production in 2006 and has a budget of more than $30 million, said producer Gabriella Martinelli.
In the story Villeneuve talks about his relationship with his Father, how he faced the beginning of his career and why he did not want to talk of his Father and his achievements until now. It seems he wanted to make it himself, and not on the results of his Father, something I have heard him say before and he’s certainly proved that he can race as well. For you F1 fan(s) out there, Villeneuve does give his Father much credit:
“If he was driving in the 1990s, he’d still be a driver and if I was driving in the 1970s, I’d be dead,” Jacques said.
So, the movie Richard? Oh yeah, sorry…
The film, made by Capri Films, will follow the career of Gilles, the dashing driver from Berthierville, Que., who was killed in a crash during practice for the Belgian Grand Prix in 1982, and the rise of his son Jacques to become world champion.
The film is based on the book Villeneuve: The Life of the Legendary Driver, by Gerald Donaldson. It is to be directed by Montrealer Christian Duguay while Malcolm Clarke of Britain will write the script.
“This is a human drama with a backdrop of Formula One racing,” said Duguay. “It’s the story of Gilles from his son’s point of view.”
Villeneuve, now driving for the Sauber Petronas team, will act as a consultant to the filmmakers, but actors will be hired to play the drivers.
Sounds good, but the only glimmer of darkness in this silver cloud of F1 returning to the movies? A quote from his Manager Craig Pollock:
“Everything about Gilles is in the public domain and neither Jacques nor the family could stop it. So the best thing is to be involved, to act as consultant and try to control what happens inside the script.”
He went on to say that he had received about ten requests to make a movie or TV programme about the Driver’s Father, but he always turned them down. There’s just something about that combined with the quote that makes me think, was this the best deal, or just it was too late to say no and he might as well get involved?
