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Left in the dust.
Simone Ashley’s role in Brad Pitt’s upcoming “F1” racing movie has been cut from the final film – even though the “Bridgerton” star shot an entire storyline for the project.
Director Joseph Kosinski explained the reason behind the surprising news in an interview published on Monday, June 16.
“It happens on every film, where you have to shoot more than you can use,” Kosinski, 51, told People. “There were two or three storylines that ultimately didn’t make it into the final cut.”
She does, however, briefly appear onscreen but has no lines. Still, the director praised the Netflix star for her acting chops.
“But Simone, she’s an incredible talent, incredible actress, incredible singer, and I would love to work with her again,” he added.
It was first announced that Ashley, 30, was cast in the Formula 1 racing drama in July 2024.
Earlier this month, before it was revealed that her role had been almost completely cut, the “Sex Education” actress spoke highly of her “crazy” time on the high-octane movie set.
“I have a very small part, but I’m grateful to be in that movie,” she told Elle on June 6. “I got to experience many Grands Prix. I don’t think I’ll ever do anything like that again.”
Ashley also said that production on “F1” had been “going for years” during an interview with Who What Wear in March.
“I met for this movie, I think, before ‘Bridgerton’ even came out,” she told the outlet. “It’s been a long time, and you know, it’s Damson and Brad’s movie. I’m just so grateful that I can be part of it.”
Even more surprising was the “Picture This” star’s revelation that “F1” filmed certain scenes both during and alongside actual Formula One races.
“You had to work as a team,” Ashley said. “Sometimes we literally had one take for certain shots. Like, you’d see on the call sheet eight minutes to get this one thing because we were shooting alongside the races.”
“It was amazing, the adrenaline,” she added. “It was kind of like theater. It felt so live.”
The Post has reached out to Ashley’s reps for comment.
“F1” stars Pitt as Sonny Hayes, a retired Formula 1 racer who comes out of retirement to mentor a young rookie prodigy named Joshua “Noah” Pearce (Damson Idris) for the Apex Grand Prix team.
The movie also stars Kerry Condon, Tobias Menzies, Kim Bodnia and Javier Bardem.
“There’s a peacefulness in the car,” Pitt, 61, told Entertainment Tonight during the red carpet premiere of “F1” in Mexico City on June 9. “There are some days when you’re off mentally, and you’re just a fraction of a second behind on your turning point.”
“Or if you’re having an uneasy day, and you’re not committed to the car, trusting the car, you get it all wrong,” he added. “And then there are these days where it is so sublime, you just cannot believe what these cars can do.”
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