‘F1’ Is a Fast, Fierce Blockbuster Throwback, With Joseph Kosinski! Plus, The Future of James Bond.

The future of James BondVilleneuve takes the wheel; the odds on the next 007

Arrival 2016

Sean's favorite Villeneuve and, he argues, a masterpiece, adapted from Ted Chiang's short story and proof the director does his best work adapting other people's material.

Enemy 2013

'A movie that's important to me': the one with the spider, about living in Toronto and being divided as a man.

Sicario 2015

Cited as the ugly-in-the-shadows register the hosts would love a Villeneuve Bond to borrow, though they doubt Amazon will go that dark.

Dune 2021

Five or six years of Villeneuve's prime already spent on IP; a Bond adds a decade more. The hosts think he's great at it anyway.

Blade Runner 2049 2017

Part of the run that made Villeneuve the go-to big-tent filmmaker: the reason they call him an instant best-director-in-franchise-history the day he walks on set. He was announced without final cut, which is why Nolan (still at Universal on 'The Odyssey') was never realistic.

'The Social Network Part 2' is happeningSorkin writing and directing, no Fincher

The Social Network 2010

This podcast's foundational text: Sorkin and Fincher elevating each other at their peaks, a tightly focused character study. The hosts call it their generation's 'Citizen Kane.'

The Social Network Part 2

Announced sequel based on the Wall Street Journal's 2021 Facebook Files; Sorkin set to write and direct with no Fincher and no confirmed returning cast. Per Deadline it isn't a January 6 movie but spans the 2020 election, Facebook's effect on teens, and countries outside the U.S., which the hosts call fatally unfocused.

'F1'Joseph Kosinski · Apple · in theaters

F1 2025

Kosinski directs Brad Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a late-50s ex-F1 driver pulled off the Daytona circuit to partner a hotshot rookie (Damson Idris) on Javier Bardem's last-place Apex team, which must win one race or be sold. Produced by Jerry Bruckheimer and Lewis Hamilton, written by Ehren Kruger, scored by Hans Zimmer, shot by Claudio Miranda with Carrie Condon as the team's tech director and Tobias Menzies as a board member quietly engineering the takeover. The panel loves it, a classical sports-underdog structure that shares Top Gun: Maverick's exact DNA, though they agree the racing is the reason to go and Pitt's dialogue scenes are the weak spot; he's best 'Steve McQueening' wordlessly. Loaded with dad-rock needle drops (Led Zeppelin, Queen) and staged inside real Grand Prix weekends, it's a massive act of Apple/F1 corporate synergy and, they think, the best motorsport movie ever made.

In conversation with Joseph Kosinskion making 'F1'

Joseph Kosinski on

F1 2025

Kosinski found the sport through 'Drive to Survive' and cold-emailed Lewis Hamilton, who gave him full Mercedes-garage access. With Sony he built a new camera rig (code name 'Carmen'), 16 mounts per car, wirelessly panned, because the Maverick cameras were too heavy. The strikes paused production six days in, letting him shoot 38 days of racing as second unit and rewrite a third-act wrinkle. Hamilton's note moved the endurance-racing opening up front (the original opening is now the last scene). Last great thing he watched: 'Tootsie,' on the flight home.

Also mentioned raised along the way

More Villeneuve PrisonersDune: Part TwoBlade RunnerIncendiesMaelströmPolytechnique

In the next-Bond odds Rebel RidgeThe Man from U.N.C.L.E.28 Years LaterNosferatuBullet TrainAnna KareninaKraven the HunterTenetThe Fall GuyKick-AssGodzillaMaterialists

Sorkin's filmography A Few Good MenThe American PresidentMaliceMolly's GameThe Trial of the Chicago 7Being the RicardosCitizen KaneBarbie

The racing-movie canon Days of ThunderWinningLe MansGrand PrixRushSpeed RacerTalladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky BobbyThe Fast and the FuriousFord v Ferrari

Kosinski's shelf and other asides Top Gun: MaverickTron: LegacyOblivionOnly the BraveMoneyballTicket to ParadiseThorKillers of the Flower MoonNapoleonSinnersThe OdysseyOppenheimer

Not films filtered out: TV, games, ads

TV Drive to SurviveThe CrownA Thousand BlowsLanternsThe WitcherDownton AbbeySnowfallTed LassoThe Morning ShowThe West WingSports NightStudio 60 on the Sunset StripThe Newsroom

Podcasts 60 Songs That Explain the 90sThe Rewatchables

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