It looks likeLogandirectorJames Mangoldmight have finally found the right project to follow-up his celebrated Western/Noir take on the superhero genre.Varietyreports that Mangold has signed on to direct 20th Century Fox’s film about the rivalry between designers at Ford and Ferrari, who were determined to create the world' fastest racecar. Mangold is developing the film along withEdge of TomorrowscreenwritersJezandJohn-Henry Butterworth.
Per the report, the currently untitled film is inspired by the true story and “follows an eccentric, determined team of American engineers and designers, led by automotive visionary Carroll Shelby and his British driver, Ken Miles, who are dispatched by Henry Ford II with the mission of building from scratch an entirely new automobile with the potential to finally defeat the perennially dominant Ferrari at the 1966 Le Mans World Championship.” No casting is confirmed at this point, but Variety hears Mangold is eyeingChristian Balefor the role of Ken Miles andMatt Damonfor Caroll Shelby.
Mangold was set to direct a drama based on the infamous kidnapping of heiress Patty Hearst, but theproject was scrapped by Fox after Hearst released a statementexpressing her disappointment with the studio for pursuing a “distorted” version of her story, she says glamorizes her torture and rape.Elle Fanningwas in talks to lead the Hearst project before it fell apart.
It’s unclear where this film falls on Mangold’s schedule at this point. The filmmaker has a number of projects in the works, including an adaptation ofDon Winslow’s celebrated crime novelThe Force, an adaptation ofKatherine Applegate’schildren’s novelCrenshaw, about a young boy visited by an imaginary giant cat, both of which are at Fox, and an English-language remake of the thrillerDisorder. Mangold’s films have always spanned the genre spectrum, including theHugh Jackman-led romantic comedyKate & Leopold, the Oscar-winning Johnny Cash biopicWalk the Line, and the underratedTom CruiseandCameron Diaztwo-handerKnight and Day, so it will be exciting to see where he goes next with the success of Logan behind him.
One project that may beoff the roster is theX-24spinofffocusing onDafne Keene’s character fromLogan. In the wake of the Disney-Fox deal, reports swirled that that project is now on hold. Whatever happens with that film, the Untitled Ford vs. Ferarri Project makes it clear that the Disney-Fox deal isn’t kicking Mangold out of the Fox business.
