“It’s a thrill that we were able to entertain audiences around the world, and that’s why I do this: To take you away from your troubles, your kids, whatever’s giving you gray hair, and [it] lets you immerse yourself in something that moves you emotionally,” American producer Jerry Bruckheimer tells Vanity Fair, seated recently in a suite at the Mandarin Oriental Ritz in Madrid. “I always say we’re in the transportation business, we transport you from one place to another.”
Bruckheimer has been in this business—that of producing movies and TV series—in Hollywood since the 1970s, when he left the world of advertising behind. And the truth is that the mark he has left on the mecca of cinema in his 50-year career is virtually unparalleled, especially at the box office (largely thanks to his association with the late Don Simpson, whose importance in his career we asked him about later).
We’re talking about someone who, after attracting attention thanks to his collaborations with Paul Schrader to make risky (and iconic) films like 1980’s American Gigolo or 1982’s Cat People, as well as blockbusters like Flashdance, Top Gun, Crimson Tide, Dangerous Minds, The Rock, Con Air, Armageddon, Enemy of the State, Black Hawk Down, Pirates of the Caribbean, and National Treasure, to name just a few. He has also lent his Midas touch to the small screen as executive producer of blockbuster series like CSI, Cold Case, and Without a Trace.
At 82, he shows no signs of slowing down. Just this year, he had a hit with F1, a film he produced for Apple, which at the time of writing is in the top 7 of 2025’s highest-grossing films in the world, with more than $631 million in box office receipts. It is a very significant figure in the post-pandemic era, even more so when taking into account that it’s an original film concept. In other words, it is not a sequel, nor does it belong to the superhero or children’s animation genre.
“F1 has been a success because it is a film that works very well on an emotional level, with characters seeking redemption,” says Bruckheimer, who came to Madrid to promote the film ahead of awards season, a responsibility he hasn’t abandoned, despite his seniority. “It’s a great story for everyone, because everyone at some point has failed at something and is looking to redeem themselves.”
