Following the success of his motorcycle crime drama The Bikeriders, Austin Butler is doubling down on his need for speed with his latest movie role. The Elvis actor is set to team up with Tom Holland on American Speed which tells the true story of brothers Donald, Dale, and Bill Whittington—three race car drivers, two of whom were involved in a huge criminal scandal in the ’80s. It sort of sounds like The Iron Claw but with race cars.
Separately, Holland and Butler are two of Hollywood’s most in-demand millennial male leads. Aside from American Speed, Butler will soon appear in Ari Aster’s Eddington along with Emma Stone, Pedro Pascal, and Joaquin Phoenix and Caught Stealing from Black Swan director Darren Aronofsky. Holland, who just finished a West End turn for Romeo & Juliet, is rumored to be part of Christopher Nolan’s new Matt Damon-led project.
Destin Daniel Cretton will direct the film. He’s also directing the next Spiderman movie which Holland, of course, is set to star in. Cretton had previously directed the Marvel hit Shang-Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings.
Below, here’s everything to know about American Speed—from plot details to a potential release date.
What is American Speed about?
American Speed follows brothers Donald, Dale, and Bill Whittington who were successful race car drivers from Texas during the late 1970s and early ’80s. Two of the three (Donald and Bill) were part of a large group of racers charged with financing their professions through drug smuggling, money laundering, and tax evasion.
Donald and Bill received 18-month and 15-year prison sentences, respectively. The latter’s sentencing was due to charges related to conspiracy to smuggle marijuana into the United States from Colombia.
Plot specifics have yet to be publicized, but American Speed will presumably focus on the brothers’ rise and fall within the racing industry.
Who is in the American Speed cast?
So far, Holland and Butler are the only names attached to the project. But given that the Whittingtons’ story involves three brothers, perhaps another A-list name could join the cast in due time.
When will American Speed be released?
American Speed is slated for a January 2026 release date.
