Ayrton Senna: The Movie with Banderas as Senna

[fastracer]

Hollywood star Antonio Banderas is going to play Ayrton Senna in a film chronicling the late Brazilian’s life and brilliant career in Grand Prix racing.
The film will centre on Senna’s final months before his fatal accident at the San Marino Grand Prix on May 1, 1994, and newspaper reports suggest it could reveal new details about Senna’s life and the accident itself.
Banderas has been working with Senna’s family, particularly his sister Vivanne to source personal anecdotes.
There are a lot of things people know but there are also a lot of things that people don't know and that only the family can reveal,’ Vivanne Senna told the Observer paper.
‘Antonio Banderas wanted us to collaborate and bring that side of things to light - all that Ayrton saw and felt, both on and off the track.’
I just hope that they don't turn this into another "Driven". But knowing Banderas he'll make it into a class-act movie.

[drexel]

What the hell? Senna's final months! What type of film is this going to be...Senna doing a bit of pre-season testing with Williams, Crashing at Brazil, his relationship with Damon Hill, his fatal accident. Surely we will see the battles with Prost...and who's gonna play Prost, maybe Jean Reno with a wig.

[DNQ]

Should be OK, sounds good in theory. As long as it is better than 'Driven....'

[massifheed]

He is working close with the family, or so we are told, so at least it will only get released when the family are happy with it. I can't help thinking though, that maybe it's best just to leave it alone and not drag it all up again. Senna is remmebered in a certain way at the moment, and a film which isn't entirely accurate could make people think less of him. Look what happened to Murray when he agreed to do the program about James Hunt. He was told that it would detail all aspects of his life, and in the end it mainly focused on the bad bits. I would want some Hollywood production company taking the same advantage. Also, I would imagine that they would have to get Frank Williams permission to use his name and car details, I'm not sure he would be up for that after all that he went through with the trial and all, the same goes for Newey and Head.

[Alan Jones]

As a fan I'd rather see a film of his career first, followed then by a plot like the one stated above. And use as much actual footage as possible in the film from his fantastic career.REAL racing, instead of the drivel in driven.

[EERO]

Senna was a very complicated man, devout, passionate, brilliant and vulnerable. If the film can show us his struggle without being saccharine, I think it has the potential to be a great film. The STORY is what will make it interesting to a wider audience.

Of course there will be footage from the races, and I think we can hope that it will be realistic and not bombastic and a vehicle for outrageous Matrix-like special effects.

[Neil C]

If the film is a so-called "independent" film, it may be ok. If it is funded by a Hollywood studio, I don't hold much hope that it will be anything but a sensationalization of the man's life and death.

As for revealing details not known to the general public, I am suspicious. The last film that purported to do that was Oliver Stone's "JFK", which was well made but nothing more than one man's conspiracy theory.

Even if there are only brief glimpses of F1 racing, I will probably see the movie. Believe it or not, last night I sat through the dreadful "Bobby Deerfield" just for the brief glimpses of names like Pryce, Pace and Depallier. The movie is as bad now as it was when it was released.

[massifheed]

They showed "Grand Prix" on TCM the other night, damn that's an amazing film. Maybe they should get Frankenheimer to direct the Senna movie.

[Neil C]

There was talk a couple years ago that Frankenheimer was interested in revisiting F1 as a subject of a film. Sadly it never developed.

"GP" was one great film. It probably did more for the growth of F1 in the late 60's, early 70's than any other single factor.

[Bononi]

Banderas to make Senna huhn ???

Don't expect too much race action, and a lot of romance.

Final months ?

So, that's it. Senna was in love with Adrianne Galisteu, a nice blonde... maybe Bridget Fonda takes the role

And who would make the role of the young german beating Senna in a incredible Benetton ????

Would Banderas suggest a "secret plan" of Bernie, to make F1 more competitive, when the best driver was in the best car ????

[Liz]

I seem to remember this script being mooted about a few years ago, in fact that it was being shopped by the same director who did "Driven" - and that it was being shopped as a MUSICAL at that time. I have forgotten the director's name, as I try to forget everything related to Drivel but I recall him saying that he could not get any funding to make this movie and that was why he turned to collaborating with Stallone on ... that other movie.

Is this the same one?

I agree, incidentally, that I'd rather see a truthful documentary about Senna's racing career, if we have to have a movie about him. With lots of footage of Prost.

[TimD]

The "Senna - Racing is in my Blood" video is actually a pretty good documentary which is already available. Certainly as motor racing docs go.

I must confess I'd rather like to see a Senna movie with Antonio Banderas. I was never much of a fan of Ayrton, but I think Antonio is a darned fine actor, who might just have the right nuance to do the job well.

[Liz]

I have that video, Tim, thanks for reminding me. Not that I liked Senna as a pilot, but he was certainly a fascinating individual.

And it can't be denied that Banderas is very cute.

[Number Juan]

Originally posted by EERO
Of course there will be footage from the races, and I think we can hope that it will be realistic and not bombastic and a vehicle for outrageous Matrix-like special effects.

what - like cars driving up walls?

i think it should involve at least some of him in his earlier career. even if its bad, im still watching it as soon as it comes out!!!

[TimD]

Originally posted by Liz


And it can't be denied that Banderas is very cute.

Trust me, Liz - that's not the reason I watch his movies....!

[Roy2]

If it were done right it could be powerful. I share the concerns expressed by Neil C and EERO. With Hollywood doing it, the project will be distorted to protect the bottom line.

You would get an alternative ending picked by audiences, a hokey love interest taking up half or more of the movie, cars that weren't the 1994 F1 cars, special effects up the ying-yang, a lousy script, misconceived characterization, you name it.

In a special done on Driven, Stallone explained how there was zero interest on the part of the Hollywood moguls to do a racing movie, and how he fought like mad to get it done. His partner who actually made the movie (name?) explained that he had always wanted to do an open-wheel racing movie, but the project had to pay, and so he had to put in all the ingredients (that ruined the movie is the sub-text) in order to get it done.

As a young man I loved the music of Buddy Holly. Hollywood made the Buddy Holly Story. I'd really hate to see them get their mitts on Ayrton Senna.

[paulzinho]

To be honest senna fan i may be, i hope they don't do it but i am encouraged that the families involvement would help prevent the distortion of the truth.

I think a Senna foundation documentary on his charachter would be best and for footage we can just watch his races.

[racer10]

WOW, ANTONIO BANDERAS. WHAT A GREAT ACTOR (RIGHT) WHY DONT THEY JUST CAST THE OLSEN TWINS INSTEAD, THEY ARE PRETTIER AND PERHAPS MORE TALENTED. A GREAT STORY NEEDS A GREAT ACTOR. A LA CRUISE. ALTHOUGH HE'S AMERICAN AND PROBABLY COULDNT DO THE ACCENT. BUT TAKE ANYBODY BUT BANDERAS. AFTERALL, HE DROVE SWEET LITTLE MELANIE TO DRINKIN'

[Roy2]

Cruise?

Oh Lord please don't let Hollywood touch this.

[f1manoz]

Originally posted by Liz
I seem to remember this script being mooted about a few years ago, in fact that it was being shopped by the same director who did "Driven" - and that it was being shopped as a MUSICAL at that time. I have forgotten the director's name

I do believe Renny Harlin was also interested in doing a film on Ayrton a few years back, but it never got off the ground, even though Senna's sister had basically given permission for them to do the movie.

Anything any director does with this movie has to be better than that other movie.

Also, I agree with those people who said 'Grand Prix' was great. I taped it off TNT a while back and watch it at least once a month. That's when men were men and the cars were real.

[drexel]

I don't know if getting the family involved is going to stop the distortion of truth. Anyone remember 'Dragon:the Bruce Lee story'. Linda Lee's involvement practically killed the movie as a bio-pic..

[Neil C]

I think you're right Drexel. A family member's involvement does not necessarily mean an accurate biography. Often they have an interest in sanitizing the story or hiding things that may reflect on the subject or his family in an unflatering way.

[Bononi]

Do you think he can have anything interesting focusing in Senna's last months? It seems to be appealling in the impact of his death to get the public to watch the movie... something like a 1:30 mins movie wich the 2 final hours of Senna will take half of the movie.

[Roy2]

But if well done it could be very powerful.

If I have it right, the dramatic matrix would be something like this:

Three time world champion, acknowledged by the world to be the fastest and the best of his time, reaches a crossroads of his career.

He finally has the best car and is poised to go on to break all the records but,

His great rivals have retired or otherwise left F1.

He is feeling empty in that the goals that motivated him in his career have been attained and the old challenges are gone.

He finds himself for the first time in his career the hunted instead of the hunter. He is not seriously concerned that he can't beat his new young rival but it's not the same.

He is mature to the point that he sees the price he's paid for his success, and the terrible price that others have paid. The death of Ratzenberger affects him deeply. He becomes reconciled with his bitterest rival of the old days, and sees clearly that those days were better than anything he has to look forward to.

At Imola 1994, saddened to tears by Ratzenberger's death, Senna is asked by his friend Sid Watkins 'Ayrton, why don't you retire? You have done it all and have nothing left to prove'.

Senna, realizing perhaps for the first time the trap his success has woven for him, answers. " I can't ".

Two hours later Prof Sid Watkins's ambulance screams up to the wreckage of Senna's Williams.

If a filmmaker had the intelligence, the sensitivity, and the passion to do justice to this part of Senna's life, he could make a movie worthy of its subject and of great dramatic power.

[Bononi]

Roy2, seriously.

I suggest that you send this plot to Señor Banderas, and maybe he will be able to do a great movie !!