Hollywood Producer Cashes in on Brad Pitt With $40 Million F1 Move originally appeared on Athlon Sports.
One of the latest summer blockbuster movies is “F1,” starring Brad Pitt, Damon Idris, Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies and Javier Bardem. Produced by Apple Studios and boasting big producer credits from Jerry Bruckheimer and F1 superstar Lewis Hamilton, the weight of F1 racing also lends support to this feature film.
However, in a sport chock-full of sponsorships, the movie followed the same path with its brand deals. Producer David Leener, responsible for the product placement, utilized the mammoth celebrity of Pitt as a “human billboard,” as described in Matt Craig’s Forbes coverage.
“For significant portions of the film, Pitt’s character wears fire suits, helmets and other apparel adorned with more than a dozen logos for brands, including Mercedes, IWC, Geico, EA Sports and Expensify, each of which also have branding on the fictional APXGP team’s car and paid millions for the privilege,” wrote Craig.
Leener’s use of brand integrations generated the most sponsor money of his filmography, which includes some of the biggest movies of all time, such as “Top Gun: Maverick,” several “Transformers” movies and both “National Treasure” films.
Movie production costs for these big blockbusters can cost anywhere between $200,000 and $400,000 per day, so when Leener makes even one product placement deal featured that day, the budget can be covered.
The ability to make a movie about F1 has only recently become viable, as the sport’s growth in the United States has been a gradual process. However, the television series “Drive To Survive” brought the behind-the-scenes drama to the forefront for American audiences in an engaging reality format.
Brad Pitt poses for a portrait on Aug. 1, 2022 at the Beverly Wilshire Hotel.© Robert Hanashiro-USA TODAY via Imagn Images
With seven seasons since its inception in 2019, the series aims to immerse the audience in the experiences of the need-to-know drivers, crew, staff and dealmakers in the sport by providing inside access to the drivers, team owners and Formula 1 management.
During a recent interview on the “Armchair Expert” podcast, hosted by actor Dax Shepard, Pitt explained how, after being introduced to “Drive To Survive” by Shepard, he started binge-watching it almost immediately.
With Leener’s ability to monetize sponsorships tied to Pitt’s stardom and appreciation of the sport, “F1” was able to be made and rake in $40 million via product placement.
“F1” premiered on June 16 and is in theaters nationwide.
Related: Lewis Hamilton Brought Two F1 Icons Into the Movie to Keep It Real
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This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Jun 27, 2025, where it first appeared.