Brad Pitt's new 'F1' movie brings immersive Formula 1 thrills to Hollywood

Apple seeks to tap into a growing Formula 1 fan base in the United States with its new $200 million-plus action movie, which hits theaters on June 27.

MONTREAL — When they began working together on the new “F1” movie, Formula 1 living legend Lewis Hamilton was pleasantly surprised to see that Brad Pitt knew what he was doing behind the wheel of a race car.

“He had a bit of a feel for it already. It wasn’t completely alien. I worked as a driver coach when I was a kid just to make a bit of money on the side, and I had some pretty bad drivers along the way!” Hamilton, a seven-time world champion who races for Ferrari and is a producer for the movie, told NBC News at a media briefing ahead of Sunday's Canadian Grand Prix. “Straight away you could see he had a concept of a driving line.”

Hollywood has made lots of movies about racing and Formula 1. But “F1 The Movie” — an Apple Original Films film that's being released theatrically by Warner Bros. on June 27 — gives viewers an unprecedented experience: a big-budget production filmed alongside racing real drivers and real teams, melding authentic F1 luminaries into the cast while filming at Grand Prix weekends with modern technology.

Producer Jerry Bruckheimer and director Joseph Kosinski hosted a screening Thursday in Montreal for F1 insiders and reporters, including NBC News, before the race weekend and a glitzy red carpet launch event Monday in New York.

The movie comes at a time of a lucrative relationship between Hollywood and Formula 1. The sport’s popularity has soared in the United States over the last five years, and F1 executives hope the first-of-its-kind movie will help the international series penetrate deeper into its top-priority market.