Hamilton outlines post-F1 plans with launch of film & TV production company
In an interview with Deadline, the Mercedes driver revealed that he has set up a new production company alongside Cooper - an investment and talent advisory firm that specialises in entertainment, media, fashion and sports - which is headed by Hamilton’s media talent manager, Penni Thow.
Hamilton has already confirmed that he will be involved in two projects with Apple TV+, with the first starring Brad Pitt in an untitled F1 racing film, while the second will be centred around his own career.
Explaining his decision to launch Dawn Apollo Films, he said: “I’ve always been into movies. I watch a lot. I find it a real escape. There are a lot of movies I find inspiring and I’ve always dreamed of one day doing something in this space. The question was often asked whether I would act.
“I’ve been very fortunate to be an F1 driver so I never really had time to dedicate to the craft of acting but a dream of mine has been to story-tell. I sat down with my team, and I asked “What would it take for us to start a production company?”, and I went around and I met a range of producers and filmmakers in LA just to gain knowledge. One of them was Jeffrey Katzenberg.
“The goal is to make impactful stories and ultimately to inspire people through movies and storytelling. A big part of the new company will be about social impact, community and causes. That’s very important to me.”
Despite turning his attention to projects outside of motorsport, Hamilton insists he doesn’t plan on stopping any time soon.
“My main focus and my core job is still motor racing,” he added. “I’m 37. I’m very focused on my health: on my body, my mind and my spiritual well being. I’m very conscious of other great athletes who spend their whole lives as I have, focused on their sport, and when they come to the end they might not necessarily have had the right people around them to help structure the course ahead for them.
“I’ve spoken to people who have said: ‘Look, when I stopped it all came crashing down. I wasn’t prepared to do other things. I hadn’t taken time to learn any other crafts, other skills. I don’t know what my other passions are, so, I didn’t really focus on trying to understand what those are and create pillars’.
“So, when I do stop racing — which I don’t plan on doing for a while; I still feel I’m in a good place — I want it to be seamless. I want to be able to move on to fully focus on Dawn Apollo Films and to be able to jump in at a similar level to what I’ve been used to.”
Hamilton was then asked if he would consider acting in the upcoming F1 movie: “I don’t plan to. I can’t say it’s impossible but at the moment I’m enjoying the lessons I’m learning in the background from Joe [Kosinski], the writing team and Brad [Pitt].”
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