Celebrities and interviews are an interesting combination, as the two don’t always mix. In the case of Brad Pitt, star of the upcoming movie Babylon, a very brief chat has left him in hot water with fans of Formula 1 racing. The reasons for that upset are pretty big, as not only is Pitt set to make a movie about that very sport, but he’s been perceived as ignoring one of its greats.
That F1 great happens to be racer-turned-Sky Sports personality Martin Brundle, who tried to stop the Bullet Train star as he navigated the pit of this past weekend’s U.S. Grand Prix. A clip from TMZ Sports shows Brad Pitt at the event, which was held in Austin, Texas, seemingly avoiding Brundle from the start. The interviewer eventually catches him for a couple brief questions, with Pitt answering as vaguely and politely as possible before being swept away by his entourage.
As mentioned earlier, Martin Brundle is a legendary presence in the world of Formula 1 racing, so to supposedly skip out on speaking with such a personality in the very field you’re making a movie about is going to turn some people off. Seeing as Brad Pitt’s F1 movie for Apple TV+ is being made under the direction of Joseph Kosinski, a fitting analogy would be to say that this is akin to Tom Cruise making Top Gun: Maverick, but passing up any sort of Navy-based press opportunities.
While this is certainly not the most serious case of “hot water” in Pitt’s life, especially considering his ongoing legal battle with Angelina Jolie, this latest wrinkle is a bit of a pain. As one of two Brad Pitt movies for Apple, the other being a Jon Watts/George Clooney collaboration also on his docket, this Formula 1 movie could find itself overshadowed by the fan reaction to this slight.
He may want to smooth over this apparent faux pas out as soon as possible for the sake of this film, as well as Babylon. The overlap between international voting bodies and Formula 1 fandom could prove to be harmful in any potential future campaigns for Pitt. While Brad Pitt may not have meant to snub Martin Brundle on the track, it's probably best he make up with the Formula 1 legend in the name of winning back the fans he stands to potentially lose.
Brad Pitt fans can catch his latest exploits in Bullet Train, which is currently available to rent or own on physical or digital media. Meanwhile, Babylon will make its way into theaters on December 23rd, just in time for this year’s awards race. If you haven’t already, you should check out the wild, 'Margot Robbie ready to fight a snake' trailer to that potential contender.
