The first trailer for the upcoming Ford v. Ferrari was released on Sunday, with the 2:24-minute clip teasing a movie full of period clothing, Christian Bale‘s accent and motor engine-revving noises.
The movie stars Bale as British driver Ken Miles and Matt Damon as car designer Carroll Shelby, with Shelby having been tasked by Henry Ford II to design a car that will beat Enzo Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race. Shelby enlists Miles as the driver, and the trailer introduces Miles with a voiceover from Shelby declaring him a “puppy dog” just as Miles is seen punching someone who appears to be Shelby in the face.
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The trailer makes it clear that yes, this is a movie about racing, with plenty of squealing tires and flipping cars all set to The Rolling Stones’ “Gimme Shelter” interspersed with clips of Ford telling Shelby to “go to war” and Shelby and Miles discussing the project in a very American diner.
Ford v. Ferrari also features Jon Bernthal as Lee Iacocca and Tracy Letts as Henry Ford II, the latter of whom closes out the trailer with a scared-out-of-his-mind first ride in the GT40 Shelby builds. Josh Lucas, Caitriona Balfe, Noah Jupe, Remo Girone and Ray McKinnon also star.
“This is David vs. Goliath vs. Goliath,” Bale told Entertainment Weekly. “You’ve got the industrial Goliath with Ford and the charismatic Goliath of reputation with Ferrari, and then this true story of the triumph of the misfits.”
“It’s these two friends figuring out how do you deal with these a–holes in suits who know nothing about racing,” he added. “It transcends racing and becomes something that captures the spirit of people who are willing to risk everything for their love.”
The movie was directed by James Mangold, who previously helmed Walk the Line and Logan and told EW that the movie he made is “an endangered species” in the era of the superhero blockbuster.
“These are real people with love and loss and fears that aren’t handled in three mini-moments between the next 100-decibel, 12-minute action sequence,” he said. “And it’s an acting tour de force — Matt and Christian have never been better.”
“As we were making it, we joked that it was the last movie ever,” Damon put in. “Luckily, we had this great character drama that was inside this other story.”
Ford v. Ferrari was originally scheduled for a summer released but was pushed to November, likely to give it a better shot during awards season. The movie will be released on Nov. 15.
Photo Credit: 20th Century Fox
