Before "Ford v Ferrari" became a critically acclaimed and commercially successful film starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale, an earlier iteration of the project was in development with Brad Pitt and Tom Cruise slated to take the lead. The film, released in 2019, tells the true story of Ford's endeavor to beat Ferrari at the 1966 24 Hours of Le Mans race, featuring Carroll Shelby, a visionary car designer, and Ken Miles, a British driver.

According to Brad Pitt, he and Tom Cruise were attached to star in "Ford v Ferrari" about a decade before the film was eventually made. Joseph Kosinski, who directed Cruise in "Oblivion" and "Top Gun: Maverick," was initially set to direct. However, the collaboration between Pitt and Cruise never came to fruition due to a conflict in their desired roles.

In a recent interview, Pitt revealed that both he and Cruise wanted to be behind the wheel. Pitt wanted to play Ken Miles, while Cruise was interested in portraying Carroll Shelby. The deal fell apart when Cruise realized that Carroll Shelby wouldn't be doing much of the driving in the movie. Ultimately, the film was reimagined with James Mangold as the director, and Matt Damon and Christian Bale were cast in the lead roles.

Despite missing out on the opportunity to star in "Ford v Ferrari," Pitt expressed his desire to work with Cruise again. He even suggested a potential collaboration on a sequel to "F1: The Movie," his recently released racing film. Pitt is currently enjoying the success of "F1", which has topped the international box office.

The original version of "Ford v Ferrari," titled "Go Like Hell," reportedly fell apart due to budget conflicts. Although the Pitt-Cruise version didn't materialize, "Ford v Ferrari" was still a major success, earning numerous awards and grossing over $224 million worldwide.