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Chris Hemsworth Will Play Formula One Driver James Hunt in 'Rush'

by Ethan Anderton
July 11, 2011
Source: Deadline

The actor is already lined up for the titular lead male role in the competing fairytale film Snow White and the Huntsman, and we just recently learned he'll lead an elite force of operatives in a new action thriller called Shadow Runner. Now Thor star Chris Hemsworth is continuing his hot streak with news from Deadline that the actor is in talks to play British Formula One driver James Hunt in Rush. Last month we found out Ron Howard would direct the racing biopic before taking on the delayed production of Stephen King's The Dark Tower series. and he'll also produce with Brian Grazer through Imagine Entertainment.

Written by The Queen and Frost/Nixon scribe Peter Morgan, the film follows three-time Formula One champion Niki Lauda and his near-fatal 1976 racing season where he was nearly burned to death after his Ferrari swerved off the track in only the second lap of the German Grand Prix, crashed, and burst into flames. He emerged six weeks later to pursue his rivalry with fellow driver James Hunt, and that's where Hemsworth comes into play. Interestingly enough, Alex Pettyfer has already been lined up to play Hunt in his own film using Tom Rubython's biography Shunt: The Story of James Hunt as its inspirtation. Of course, it still remains to be seen who will take on the role of Lauda for Howard's foray into racing.

It sounds like Hemsworth is going to be pretty busy over the next couple years with Shadow Runner coming down the road, and a release date of July 26th, 2013 set for the recently announced Thor sequel, but Rush will shoot before the Marvel franchise picks up again. Of course, this is just the beginning of what promises to be a massive career for Hemsworth that really kicked off back when he played Captain Kirk's father in J.J. Abrams' Star Trek franchise reboot. I'm definitely looking forward to what Hemsworth does with his career.

Related categories: Casting, Development, Movie News

HG

i am wondering who will play him too if you look at pictures of him he looks a bit like mads mikkelsen but he is too old lol
Dubdub

Whoa, could this actually happen? A Hollywood produced Formula 1 movie. I've always wondered how Hollywood would interpret F1. Ahhh, and that's why Ron Howard was at Silverstone for last weekends Grand Prix...
Lebowski

This is one of the great stories of Formula 1 racing, Lauda's accident and recovery put him in the hard-as-coffin-nail category of racing driver, up there with other mean bastards like Alan Jones. It was a great time for the sport as well, considering the intense rivalries and rapidly accelerating technological development combined with hot 70's broads and euro's with big sideburns. I'm psyched.
Middo

When you say "only the second lap of the German Grand Prix' it is worth noting that the Nurburgring circuit where the race was held is 20+ kilometres long
Dom

I remember that burning car like it was yesterday - lucky guy. The story of Hunt though will make for a much more interesting film:http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1320323/Formula-1-champion-James-Hunt-slept-33-BA-air-stewardesses-race.html