John Boyega and Robert De Niro to star in new Netflix Formula One movie

NME | Music, Film, TV, Gaming & Pop Culture News

John Boyega and Robert De Niro are to star together in a new Netflix drama.

The Formula, directed by Burning Sands‘ Gerard McMurray, will follow a story about a prodigious racing driver who becomes a getaway driver to help save his family.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, McMurray will write, direct and produce the film while Jane Rosenthal, De Niro and Berry Welsh will produce the project.

Earlier this week (January 25), Boyega said making films for huge franchises is an experience akin to “luxury jail” for actors.

Boyega has played Finn in three Star Wars films, from 2015’s The Force Awakens through 2017’s The Last Jedi and 2019’s The Rise Of Skywalker.

The actor’s most recent role comes as Leroy Logan in Steve McQueen’s Small Axe: Red, White and Blue, a character who tries to dismantle the racist structures of the police force from within.

In a Q&A event about the film (via CinemaBlend), Boyega contrasted his most recent role with his ongoing Star Wars work, saying: “Being in a big franchise, it’s kind of like luxury jail sometimes for an actor when you want to do something else. Because remember, in a franchise you’re working on one character for many years, which can starve your other muscles.

“And in wanting to be in something where I knew that I’d play a different type of role, a different type of man, and then knowing Steve through, we’re all a part of the same industry so I’d heard about Steve’s directing style, I was really really curious and excited to have the opportunity anyway to be a part of it. And when it came through I was on the tele like ‘this is my moment.’”

Back in November, De Niro addressed Donald Trump’s US election loss, claiming that the now former President of the United States had “a screw loose”.

De Niro, who has been highly critical of Trump in the past, expressed his “relief” over the result during a conversation with MSNBC, in which he touched upon Trump’s handling of the coronavirus pandemic.

“I think there’s a screw loose there. [Trump] just doesn’t get it,” he said. “If he’d done what he should’ve done for the virus, he could’ve won this election. I wouldn’t be happy about it, but he would’ve done something right. He didn’t even understand how to do that.”

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