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.
Be called The formula, the film is about an American F1 driver who gets involved with the mafia and is forced to serve as an escape driver to save his family.
It must be written, directed and produced by Gerard McMurray, whose previous work includes Burning Sands, a Netflix production that was nominated for the Grand Jury award at the 2017 Sundance Festival, and 2018’s The first purge.
His newly formed company Buppie Productions says he “develops and produces fun stories with black characters for film and television audiences”.
He adds: “Our company is constantly reinventing itself while mapping out a way to influence popular culture.
“We are the heroes and villains, the good guys, the bad guys, the femme fatales and the neighbors”.
Other producers include De Niro and his associates Berry Welsh – who was behind Martin Scorsese’s acclaimed Netflix film The Irish – and Jane Rosenthal, whose long list of credits includes Bohemian Rhapsody, About a boy, Shaking the dog and the comedy De Niro Meet the parents and its aftermath.
The Formula is part of a broader deal that Welsh and Rosenthal have with Netflix.
Few details have been released so far, but McMurray gave an outline of the plot in an Instagram post on Monday.
“It is incredible to see this idea in my head finally come to life, that I am writing, directing and producing,” he wrote.
“My new production company, Buppie Productions, is joining Tribeca Films and Netflix to bring you an incredible original film that will soon be called The formula starring two of my favorite actors, John Boyega and Robert De Niro.
“It is the story of a young man from Detroit who becomes a star of international motorsport in the world of Formula 1 under the tutelage of his mentor with longstanding ties to the Mafia.”
Boyega achieved fame in Star Wars The Force Awakens in 2015, reprising his role as Finn in The last Jedi and The Rise of Skywalker.
The film should be the first Hollywood production based on contemporary Grand Prix racing since Bobby Deerfield, which starred Al Pacino and included images shot during the 1976 season.