Michael Mann’s Decadeslong Drive to Make ‘Ferrari’

The latest in pop-culture news, recaps, and reviews, plus close reads, profiles, interviews, and more from Vulture.com. [Brand Logo]( in conversation [Michael Mann’s Decadeslong Drive to Make Ferrari]( The director on his inspiration rooms, clubbing with cocaine importers, and the obsessive research he did for his new film. Photo: Amanda Demme “I don’t like being in the same place for a long time,” Michael Mann tells me over lunch in Modena, Italy. The director has lived in Los Angeles for the past five decades with his wife, Summer, an artist. But in 2022, as he worked on his new film, Ferrari, the city where car manufacturer Enzo Ferrari lived and died became a second home. Ferrari might be the closest thing Mann has had to a dream project, which might also be why he seems so happy nowadays. I’ve interviewed the director maybe a dozen times over the past decade, and I’ve rarely seen him so animated. He has been trying to get the biographical racing drama — which follows Enzo’s (Adam Driver) marital and professional turmoil during a year in which he nearly lost just about everything he had — made since the mid-1990s. After lunch, he takes me on an impromptu walking tour of the city, showing me the locations where the film was shot and where Enzo’s life occurred. (One favorite spot: The barbershop where Enzo got a shave every morning.) Mann is 80 years old, but he’s a spark-plug of energy as he charges through Modena’s cobble-stoned streets, a heavy bag slung over one shoulder and an enormous binder under his arm. As he talks about his new film and his whole career, one begins to see why he was so drawn to this man. “Who shall I be in this world?” Enzo asked himself as a teenager. At the time, he had no job prospects, and his father and brother had just died. That theme of self-actualization runs through Mann’s films. It also runs through his own life. This is a man who went from having nothing to owning a Ferrari over the course of his early career, going on to make classic ’80s and ’90s films including Heat and Manhunter. “It’s a human universal imperative to push beyond what the current limits are,” Mann says of racing cars. He could also be talking about his own filmmaking philosophy. [read more]( Devour pop culture with us. Subscribe now to [save over 60%]( on unlimited access to Vulture and everything New York. The Latest TV Recaps • Below Deck Mediterranean: [Tumi Versus Natalya]( [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( Stories We Think You’ll Like [Everything Julia Fox Says About ‘The Artist’ in Her Memoir You have one guess who he is.]( By Kate Lindsay [I Love My Video Game Parents Starfield offers the option to visit your mom and dad. Why does that feel so good?]( [The 2023 Hollywood Strike for Dummies The WGA overwhelmingly ratified their contract with the AMPTP, so the writers are getting back to work.]( By Jason P. Frank [Jordan Fisher Will Look Back as the New Orpheus in Hadestown Replacing Reeve Carney as Orpheus after his more than four-year run.]( By Jason P. Frank [The 22 Best Family Guy Musical Numbers Over 22 seasons, the show’s musical-theater-inspired songs always stand out.]( By Barry Levitt [Pablo Larraín’s Jackie Cinematic Universe Got Angelina Jolie As a stunning, well-accessorized Maria Callas.]( By Rebecca Alter and Zoe Guy [Mary Gaitskill and Emma Cline Are Co-Presidents of the John Cheever Fan Club His short story “The Swimmer” inspired the ending of Cline’s The Guest.]( By Brandon Sanchez [Learn more about RevenueStripe...]( [Today’s Crossword]( 17-Down, Five Letters: Jared Kushner to Karlie Kloss, e.g. Photo-Illustration: Vulture; Photos: Getty Prime Day [Gaming is usually an expensive hobby, but you can save during October Prime Day. Here are the best video-game deals under $40.]( A newsletter of TV and movie recommendations. [Sign up]( to get it every week. [Get the Newsletter]( [logo]( [facebook logo]( [instagram logo]( [twitter logo]( [unsubscribe]( | [privacy notice]( | [update preferences]( This email was sent to {EMAIL}. Was this email forwarded to you? [Sign up now]( to get this newsletter in your inbox. [View this email in your browser.]( You received this email because you have a subscription to New York. Reach the right online audience with us For advertising information on email newsletters, please contact AdOps@nymag.com Vox Media, LLC 1201 Connecticut Ave. NW, 12th Floor Washington, DC 20036 Copyright © 2023, All rights reserved