Hugh Jackman in Talks to Play Enzo Ferrari in Upcoming Biopic

Hugh Jackman at the BAFTA
Hugh Jackman at the BAFTA "A Life in Pictures with Hugh Jackman" in 2017. Photo by Vianney Le Caer/REX/Shutterstock (9254874ae)

Michael Mann is currently developing a biopic inspired by Enzo Ferrari’s life, and he found the perfect man to play the lead role. Hugh Jackman is in talks to portray the legendary motor racing driver and founder of Ferrari.

Mann’s film will center on the brutal and infamous 1957 Mille Miglia race which ended in an incredible tragedy and led to motor racing being banned on the public roads of Italy. This was one of the most turbulent times of Ferrari’s life, especially because his marriage was in peril.

Michael Mann was hoping to make this film, based on the script penned by the late Troy Kennedy Martin, for almost two decades.

“The real power of this piece is in the emotionally charged lives of these people in complex, extreme circumstances. In addition, there is the explosive power and lethal beauty of racing. It has a great drama at its core and that’s why Ferrari stayed with me,” Mann told Deadline.

Hugh Jackman most recently starred in HBO’s crime drama Bad Education and received critical acclaim for his role.