Brad Pitt and Channing Tatum, with their production companies, to create a documentary series on the Isle of Man Tourist Trophy motorcycle races, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Pitt's Plan B Entertainment, Tatum's Free Association, screenwriter Jason Keller, Guymon Casady of Entertainment 360 and Box to Box films are behind the docuseries titled The Greatest Race on Earth.
The companies' announced on Tuesday that they will present the docuseries as a package later in the year. Plan B's majority stakeholder, Mediawan, will serve as the series' studio and will handle international sales.
The Greatest — and Most Dangerous — Race on Earth
The Isle of Man Tourist Trophy or TT races are yearly motorcycle events on the Isle of Man in May and June since it began in 1907. It usually starts on the UK Spring Bank Holiday (May 27 this year) and goes on for 13 days. It's often regarded as one of the most dangerous racing events in the world since many competitors (and some spectators) have died.
The races follow a time-trial format on the island's public roads which are closed to the public by an Act of Tynwald, a statute passed by the Isle of Man parliament. The event includes a week of practice and qualifying sessions, which are then followed by a week of racing. Traditionally, spectators go on a tour of the Snaefell Mountain Course on motorcycles during the event on “Mad Sunday.” This is an informal and unofficial event the Sunday between Practice and Race Week.
However, this was changed in 2022, when organizers ended Mad Sunday, announcing that the race would take place Sunday after practices so visitors can watch more events.
The first race was originally set over 10 laps on St. John's Short Course, which is 15 miles, 1,470 years long for road-legal “touring” motorcycles. Starting 1911, the track was transferred to the much longer Snaefell Mountain Course, which has a current length of 37.73 miles (60.72 kilometers), with an elevation that goes from near sea-level to 1,300 feet (400 meters).
A Change of Course
Originally, there was one race with two classes in 1907. This was expanded in 1911 to add two races for the 350cc and 500 cc motorcycles for the Junior and Senior races, respectively. There were no races from 1915 to 1919 due to World War I. It resumed in 1920. In 1922, a 250 cc Lightweight TT race was added. The following year, a Sidecar race was also was included.
There were no racing events from 1940 to 1945 due to World War II. It resumed with the Manx Grand Prix in 1946 and the Isle of Man TT in 1947, which now expanded to include the new Clubman races. From 1949 to 1976, the races joined the FIM Motor-cycle Grand Prix World Championship, now called MotoGP, as the British leg of the World Motor-Cycling Championship.
Most of the leading competitors, along with motorcycle manufacturers and national motorcycle sporting franchises boycotted the race from the early 70s, citing safety concerns with the course.
The New York Times once wrote in 2017 that the death toll had risen to “146 since it was first run in 1907; if one includes fatal accidents occurring during the Manx Grand Prix … the figures rise above 250.” Sports Illustrated called the races “a test of nerves and speed that may be sports' most dangerous event.”
The Isle of Man TT lost its world championship status in 1976. This was then transferred to the UK by the FIM and was named the British Grand Prix for the 1977 season.
Tatum and Pitt reunite offscreen
The docuseries starting production this week. Box to Box, which produced racing documentaries such as Netflix's Drive to Survive and Tour de France: Unchained, will serve as producer alongside Plan B, Free Association, Entertainment 360 and Keller. However, it's still unclear whether Keller, who wrote the script for the Academy Award-nominated James Mangold 2019 movie Ford v Ferrari, will also write The Greatest Race on Earth's scipt.
Free Association principals Tatum, Reid Carolin and Peter Kiernan said in a statement, “We dare anyone to find a more awe-inspiring people, or a more breathtakingly vibrant world that The Isle of Mann TT.”
“We've always been drawn to characters who push the edge of what's possible, and this race is their Shangri-La. We're deeply honored to be part of the creative dream team telling the story of this legendary event, and can’t wait to finally share this mythical sport we love with audiences all across the globe,” the statement continued.
Academy Award winner Pitt is no stranger to the racing movie world. The actor is currently shooting a Joseph Kosinski F1 film, with his Plan B company producing it. He was most recently heard in John Krasinski's film IF.
Pitt was last seen in three movies released in 2022: Babylon, Bullet Train and The Lost City. He won an Oscar for best supporting actor for Quentin Tarantino's 2019 film Once Upon a Time… in Hollywood. Aside from the untitled FI movie, the actor will next be seen reuniting with long-time friend and Ocean's co-star George Clooney in John Watts' Wolfs.
Tatum was last seen in last year's Magic Mike's Last Dance. He previously worked with Pitt, co-starring in both Bullet Train and The Lost City. The actor will next be seen Greg Berlanti's Fly Me to the Moon with Scarlett Johansson in cinemas July 12, and in Zoe Kravitz's directorial debut Blink Twice which will be released in theaters on Aug. 23.
Casady most recently produced the hit Ryan Gosling-Emily Blunt starrer The Fall Guy and the Netflix limited series Ripley.
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