How F1 Fan Keanu Reeves Became the Face of Cadillac's New Racing Docuseries (Exclusive)
After the huge success of North One's Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story on Disney+, which was hosted by Reeves, budding F1 team Cadillac — who have the world of sport watching after nabbing a coveted 2026 grid spot — wanted to recreate the magic. And that includes the A-list action star, of course.
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'Once [Cadillac] had seen [Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story ], they were very keen to get the band back together,' North One boss and three-time BAFTA-winner Neil Duncanson tells The Hollywood Reporter. 'Keanu is up for it and he thinks the story is an extraordinary one.'
The new docuseries, reported by THR earlier this week, will have Reeves serve as host and executive producer through his KR+SH production company as showbiz continues to capitalize on the wild success of F1 (see: Brad Pitt's movie currently obliterating the rest of the field at the global box office). The John Wick actor's passion for F1 goes back decades, Duncanson explains, so after sharing Brawn's story, helping to chronicle Cadillac's race to make a worthy car in time for the opening Grand Prix of the 2026 season was a no brainer.
'It was Keanu and [Brawn producer and Emmy-winning director] Simon Hammerson who came up with the idea that they would like to do the Brawn story,' Duncanson says about how Reeves came aboard the projects. 'But weirdly, they couldn't get the thing away in the States. So [former Brawn GP CEO] Nick Fry, who they'd been talking to, suggested speaking to me and timing was everything. Disney were looking for a British last dance, and it ticked all of the boxes.'
'Whilst we're not going to do exactly the same thing with Cadillac, we will be doing something similar,' adds Duncanson. 'We didn't want [Reeves] standing there doing pieces to camera or just a voice-over, we wanted to assimilate him into the narrative. But the main drives of the Cadillac story is us being on the inside and following everything that's going on as it's happening. I don't think anyone would have seen that before.'
It sets apart the show from a series like Drive to Survive because it's documenting the build-up to the Melbourne Grand Prix in March as Cadillac prepare to make their hotly-anticipated debut in what is known to be an incredibly exclusive sport. Top of the list? Find a pair of fast drivers.
'The final test, our end game, is when they turn the engine on. Are they competitive?' Duncanson continues. 'They describe it as landing a man on the moon in record time. In terms of engineering, getting the right people, they've got to get the drivers. They've got to build the motor home and design the race suits and the color of the car and find sponsors — everything that goes into that enormous jigsaw that is building a Formula One team, you will see from the inside out.'
The show will appeal to as many people as possible, not just those hardcore F1 fans, Duncanson adds. 'Formula One is a unique and extremely rarefied atmosphere… What we're aiming to do is appeal to a broader audience, and I think that's about the characters and the amount of access.'
Filming on the docuseries began around a month ago and will continue through to the start of the 2026 season. As Duncanson speaks, he's getting ready to shoot at Silverstone, the British Grand Prix, from the weekend of July 4 onwards.
'Cadillac is one of the great motoring brands in the world,' Duncanson adds, 'known throughout the world as a luxury brand. But now, I think they're trying to reposition as a brand for the next generation.'
North One is part of RedBird IMI's production giant All3Media. KR&SH Productions is a documentary-focused production company founded by Reeves and Hammerson that created Brawn: The Impossible Formula 1 Story.
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