Press Room
PRESS RELEASE - 10th December 2007
The Bruce McLaren film project, which was launched at the Taupo A1GP in January, is making steady progress with the second draft of the script due for completion early next year.
Making a film is always a long journey but the key ingredient to success always begins with a finely tuned screenplay. This screenplay is our major focus at the moment, and extensive research into Bruce’s life as a world-class racing driver, constructor, father, son and husband, is a critical part of bringing a truthful account of Bruce to the screen
We have been very lucky to have the support of the McLaren family, Bruce’s friends and his colleagues, whom have provided an insight into Bruce, and the support of investors, who believe strongly in the project.
There is adventure, risk, competition, romance and tragedy. It is an international story – not just a Kiwi story, and one that continues to this day with the McLaren name at the forefront of the international motor sport industry.
Osborne to produce feature film on Bruce McLaren
20th January 2007
A proposed feature film about the life of internationally celebrated Formula One racing driver Bruce McLaren (1937-1970) has taken another step further today with Barrie M. Osborne - Academy Award® winning producer of The Lord of the Rings: The Motion Picture Trilogy - confirming he will be the producer of the film.
Osborne, who has produced or executive produced several other major movies including The Matrix and The Big Chill, said the McLaren story was a truly inspiring and highly emotional story that simply had to be told.
"McLaren, a New Zealander, was one of the world's pre-eminent sportsmen. His name is still synonymous with the international motor sport scene through Team McLaren."
This film will capture the inspiring, highly emotional true story of how McLaren, who was crippled with a hip joint problem as a child, rose through energy and skill to establish the most successful professional racing team in the history of world motor sport.
The film has all the ingredients of an international blockbuster: a fast-paced drama set against the competitive and glamorous world of international motor racing, and is set to tap into motor racing's vast, established global fan base.
Osborne is working with co-producer and motor sport enthusiast Michael Garlick. Garlick has designed, built and driven racing cars and has produced and directed over 350 television broadcasts for major international broadcasters including Cox Cable in the United States. Throughout his production career, Garlick has been quietly formulating the Bruce McLaren Film project.
Osborne and Garlick have bought together a number of high profile New Zealanders and international personalities to advise on the film.
They include Amanda, Patty and Janice McLaren (daughter, widow and sister of Bruce McLaren respectively), Phil Kerr (McLaren's friend and commercial manager), Chris Amon (friend and contemporary racing driver), the Hon. Jim Anderton (friend and College schoolmate) and Chris Abbott (New Zealand motor sport leader and corporate lawyer).
Garlick and Osborne believe the film will attract international attention as well as local support because of McLaren's profile and the continued interest in motor sport and the McLaren Team.
"We have been really pleased with the interest shown so far in this project both in New Zealand and internationally. We have just begun the work of logistics planning and production research. Bruce McLaren is such an important subject that painstaking care is being taken in portraying him in an accurate and authentic manner and attention to detail will be critical for the film's success."
Continued development of the film and pre-production will take up all of 2007, with a projected filming commencement date of early 2008.
More information can be found in the Workshop, especially the Frequently Asked Questions section.
