Who will play Enzo?

Hollywood is all abuzz about Christian Bale dropping out from playing the titular character in the upcoming Enzo Ferrari biopic. Not to be confused with ANOTHER biopic on the patriarch of the Prancing Horse, which stars Robert De Niro and is titled quite simply Ferrari. (Read: Are you torqueing to me?)

Although Enzo wasn’t an exceedingly hefty man, Bale was reportedly concerned about having to gain the necessary weight to portray the character in too short a time. This is a bit of a surprise coming from the English actor, who lost a ton of weight for The Machinist and gained a belly for American Hustle. What a shame, really, because he would have been great in that role.

Director Michael Mann is still forging ahead with the project, and will now have to scout for a new actor to step into the role. While De Niro’s version will depict Enzo from the 1940’s to the 1980's, Mann's movie will be set in 1957, arguably one of the most difficult years in the Italian sports car manufacturer’s existence.

In May that year, race driver Eugenio Castellotti was killed while testing a Ferrari car. 

During the 1957 Mille Miglia, the tyre of a Ferrari 335S exploded and the race car pitched into the spectators, killing nine of them along with the Spanish driver, Alfonso de Portago, and his American co-driver, Edmund Nelson. The company and Enzo were tried for manslaughter, although the case was eventually dismissed.

Enzo was 59 years old that year; Bale is only 41. Which got us thinking, who should play Enzo? 

Enzo in 1957, at Castellotti's funeral.

 How about one of these two?

Stanley Tucci, a 'chameleonic' actor. Took awhile to realise it was him in Lovely Bones.

Steve Buscemi, eyes that stand out, just like Enzo's did.

They are both award-winning actors, of Italian descent and are in the right age range. Who do you think should play Enzo?

For car enthusiasts who look forward to the two biopics about a legend of the industry, you might be interested to know that Ferruccio Lamborghini is also getting movie made about him. Ferrucio’s son, Tonino, will consult on the film and it will depict his father’s life as a tractor maker, then a military vehicle manufacturer during WWII and, after launching Automobili Lamborghini in 1963, a car designer.