Olivia Wilde & Chris Hemsworth Join F1 Action Drama

Despite the Box Office disappointment of “Cowboys & Aliens” and the perceived lacklustre BO of “Tron: Legacy”, Olivia Wilde is still very much a hot property in Hollywood. Chris Hemsworth on the other hand, is still riding high on the success of “Thor”. Both of them are now set to shine onscreen together in a new project by director Ron Howard. Deadline today broke the news that Wilde and Hemsworth have just signed on for “Rush”, an action-packed drama set in the world of Formula One racing. They will join Spanish/German actor Daniel Bruhl (“Inglourious Basterds”) in this real-life look at the world’s most expensive sport and a fierce rivalry between two of its greatest drivers. Wilde will play 70s supermodel Suzy Miller. She sure has the look and physique for it. Hemsworth is actually a bit too tall for an F1 driver, but hey, this is movieland.

The film’s official description goes like this: “Set against the 1970′s golden age of Formula 1 racing, “Rush” portrays the fast-paced and exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivalries the sport has ever witnessed – that of James Hunt (Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Brühl) and their illustrious Formula 1 racing teams, McLaren and Ferrari. A privileged, charismatic and handsome English playboy, Hunt could not be more different from his reserved and methodical opponent, Austrian born Lauda. “Rush” follows their personal lives both on and off the track and charts their rivalry from its inception in Formula 3. Here they competed viciously against each other until Lauda’s business acumen and surgeon like precision behind the wheel propelled him all the way to Formula 1; eventually landing him the number one spot at Ferrari. However it was not long before rambunctious golden boy Hunt fought his way into Formula 1, and into the hearts of a nation, dramatically seizing the championship from Lauda and proving to the critics, and more importantly himself, that there was real substance beneath the stylish exterior.”

The script is being handled by Peter Morgan, who did great work on “Frost/Nixon” and “The Queen”. Shooting is already underway, but the release date has not been finalised yet.