Anthony Hopkins and Al Pacino are the two biggest names in a star-studded cast for the upcoming movie Maserati: The Brothers, which tells the story of the founding of the famous marque in Italy shortly after the start of World War One.

Brothers Alfieri, Carlo, Bindo, Ernesto and Ettore established the company in a garage in Bologna on December 1, 1914. The film focuses on their battle to bring the marque to life in the face of financial problems, the incredibly dangerous racing of the period and, since this is a Hollywood take, a forbidden romance involving another of the big names attached to the project, Jessica Alba.

Older man wearing a beige fedora, striped vest, and dark blazer, speaking outdoors.
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Tragedy touches the Maserati family as Alfieri – played by Michele Morrone – dies in 1932 due to complications from a savage accident he suffered in 1927. Carlo, the eldest brother, died of tuberculosis in 1910 before he could see the family’s automotive dream become a reality. 

But there’s also action aplenty as the film traces the brothers’ attempt to become the first Italian carmakers to win the Indianapolis 500, with the trailer revealing thrilling racing sequences including one where a car is almost sideswiped off a cliff.

Hopkins, who loves classic cars and has quite a collection, plays Luca Antonelli, a financier who funds the Maserati venture. Pacino takes on the role of Vincenzo Vaccaro, a businessman who backs the brothers and invests with them.

The movie was shot in Modena, the home of Maserati’s great rival Ferrari, and at Cinecittà  Studios in Rome. Maserati and classic car fanatics are in for a real treat as the makers built up to 60 Maserati models from the 1920s and ’30s. So while there’s some CGI, the filmmakers focus heavily on physical reconstructions of the famous old racers with their $170 million budget.

Older man in a gray pinstripe suit and brown fedora talks with crew on a film set.
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Producer Andrea Iervolino hailed Hopkins for getting deeply involved in the production. 

“He’s really artistically involved in this movie. He’s worked a lot on the script. He also changed some of his own lines to deliver a better message. So he really cares about this movie. Sometimes when you work with such a big star, they care only about the paycheck. But this is not the case. Anthony’s really an amazing artist,” Iervolino said.

“He plays a very important role in the movie because at that time you could be a dreamer but you needed to find people who had money. At that time it was hard to find people who had money because the financial industry was not developed as today.”