A 2023 motorsport drama starring Adam Driver and Penélope Cruz is heading to Netflix. The R-rated film delves into the personal and professional struggles of the founder of one of the world’s most valuable car companies.
Adam Driver-led Ferrari arrives on Netflix this month
Ferrari will become available to stream on Netflix starting Sunday, May 24, 2026 (via What’s on Netflix).
The film chronicles the life of Enzo Ferrari, founder of the Italian luxury car company, Ferrari. It is an adaptation of Brock Yates’ 1991 biography, Enzo Ferrari: The Man, the Cars, the Races, the Machine.
The story takes place during the summer of 1957. At the time, Ferrari was on the verge of a financial collapse while Enzo prepared his racing team for the dangerous Mille Miglia, a 1,000-mile endurance race across Italy. In his personal life, Enzo and his estranged wife, Laura, are grieving the loss of their only son, Dino. Meanwhile, Enzo’s mistress, Lina, pressures him to acknowledge and legitimize their son, Piero.
Four-time Oscar-nominated filmmaker Michael Mann helmed the sports biopic with a screenplay by Troy Kennedy Martin. During an interview with The Guardian, Mann revealed that the film’s script was written in the 90s, more than a decade before Martin passed away in 2009. While the “heart” of the film was largely from the original script, the director rewrote certain aspects before filming began.
Moreover, Ferrari was stuck in development hell with several casting changes. At one point, Christian Bale was going to star in the film. After he dropped out, Hugh Jackman accepted the role. But after years of little progress, he walked away from the project in 2022.
The film’s final cast features Adam Driver as Enzo Ferrari, Shailene Woodley as Lina, Penélope Cruz as Lura, Sarah Gadon as Linda, and Patrick Dempsey as Piero, among others.
Released on December 25, 2023, Ferrari received a favorable reception. Both audience and critics’ scores are at 73% on Rotten Tomatoes. However, the film was a commercial failure, having only earned roughly $40.9 million globally against a $95 million budget.
