Le Mans Visitors to Get Ford v. Ferrari Sneak Peek Opportunity!
The forthcoming Ford v. Ferrari movie starring Matt Damon and Christian Bale - will open worldwide in theatres this November, and if you retaining next week’s Le Mans 24-Hours race you have the opportunity to get a sneak preview. June 14th, on the eve of this year’s Le Mans 24 hours fans will be treated to a worldwide exclusive with 10 minutes of footage of the film, screened at the Pathe theatre in the city centre, and at the CGR Saint Saturnin in the suburbs of Le Mans
Ford v. Ferrari, also to be called Le Mans '66 in some countries including US, is based on the true story Carroll Shelby and Ken Miles who teamed up in 1966 to challenge the long-time winner of the Le Mans 24H race, overriding human, technical and corporate obstacles, thanks to the strength of their passion, endurance and sheer obstinacy. High-speed car scenes are aplenty and the lucky viewers in Le Mans who get to sample the gripping sneak peek will have to wait five months to watch the full story unfold.
The exclusive footage will be screened at 7:15pm and 8:00pm in both cinemas. Free entry coupons will be available at the Pathe Le Mans and CGR Saint Saturnin ticket offices from Monday 10th June.
The film is set in Le Mans and race organiser the Automobile Club de l’Ouest supplied archive documents and props and advised on the historical elements of the script. However, the circuit, which no longer resembles that of the 1960s, was not used for filming. The set was located at Agua Dulce Airpark, a private airport in Santa Clarita, that features a half-mile airstrip that production used as racing track, alongside which were constructed three large segments of grandstands, the Ford and Ferrari pits, and the international press box.
The construction drawings for the huge set were based on over 300 archival photos, many of which were provided by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.
Several scenes of were filmed in Le Mans in July 2018, including the scene where Ken Miles arrives in the provincial French town.
“We wanted to capture that moment where Christian Bale’s character comes to Le Mans for the first time and is being transported into France in the 1960s,” recounts production designer Francois Audouy. “We took over a large square in the centre of town next to the old cathedral and basically created a three hundred and sixty-degree environment with hundreds of extras and period vehicles provided by the Automobile Club de l’Ouest.”
The trailer of Ford v Ferrari will be shown at regular intervals at the circuit on Saturday 15th and Sunday 16th June on the screens that relay the track action.
