Joseph Kosinski is the mastermind behind Top Gun: Maverick, one of the most exciting and innovative action movies in many years, and his next project is just around the corner. The filmmaker is helming a new movie, F1 isn’t based on a true story, it looks like a captivating and very authentic glimpse into the world of Formula One.

Since F1 is Kosinski’s direct follow-up to Top Gun: Maverick, expectations for this sporting drama couldn’t be higher. F1’s trailers have already revealed some of the film’s boldest action sequences, which feature a huge amount of intricate stunt choreography and racing sequences that clearly pay homage to the Top Gun franchise.

What Quentin Tarantino Said About Top Gun: Maverick & Why He's Right

The Director Recognizes Joseph Kosinski's Talent

Quentin Tarantino doesn’t always offer his thoughts on new releases, but when he does, his opinions are often very strong. That’s exactly the case for Top Gun: Maverick, which the director described as a “spectacle” unlike anything else that’s being made today. Speaking with Variety in 2022, Tarantino called Joseph Kosinski’s legacy sequel “fantastic,” labeling it as the kind of big-budget blockbuster that he imagined he “wasn’t going to see anymore.” He extended his praise to Tony Scott’s original Top Gun, naming Kosinski's sequel as the closest audiences will ever get to seeing another Tony Scott movie.

Thankfully, Tarantino couldn’t have been more correct in his assertions about Top Gun: Maverick. The movie is an incredibly bold and ambitious project that very few audiences expected to love as much as they did, but it works excellently thanks to Kosinski’s fierce direction and the heartfelt screenplay from Christopher McQuarrie, Eric Singer, and Ehren Kruger. This makes it even more surprising that Kosinski was only the second choice to direct Top Gun: Maverick, after Tony Scott’s own brother, Ridley Scott.

F1 Looks Like Top Gun: Maverick But With Racing, Not Planes

The Film Could Be Another Innovative Action Spectacle

Thankfully, it seems like Kosinski will be taking a very similar approach to F1. The story looks to have the same kind of historical weight and thematic depth as Maverick, following an older racer as he battles with his own past to work alongside a younger mentee with bold ambitions. This is clearly very similar to Top Gun: Maverick, which centers around Cruise’s protagonist as he teaches a group of young recruits how to pull off an impossible mission.

Moreover, the action sequences in F1 have a very similar feel to the aerial combat scenes in Top Gun: Maverick - the only difference being that they’re on the ground. Importantly, Kosinski filmed much of his previous movie in real planes, using minimal CGI and grounding his action in reality wherever possible. This is something that he’s carried over to F1, which uses real-life racing sequences where Brad Pitt was really inside high-speed cars.

Will F1 Be As Successful As Top Gun: Maverick?

The Film Has Massive Shoes To Fill

Although it’s unlikely that F1 will be quite as successful as Top Gun: Maverick, that’s an unreasonably high expectation to place on the film. Kosinski’s previous movie was an enormous critical success, pulling in $1.5 billion worldwide and becoming the fourteenth highest-grossing movie ever made at the time of publication. It’s extremely unlikely that F1 will combat this record, but there’s every possibility that it could have a similar critical reception.

There’s nothing to suggest that Kosinski has lost his touch over the years; he’s an incredibly talented and consistent director who always brings an interesting flair to his projects.

Top Gun: Maverick currently sits at 96% on Rotten Tomatoes, which certainly won’t be an easy record to beat, but it’s not impossible. There’s nothing to suggest that Kosinski has lost his touch over the years; he’s an incredibly talented and consistent director who always brings an interesting flair to his projects. If he does the same with F1, there’s every possibility it will be a critical hit.

Source: Variety