Sure, I know we all wish that Ron Howard was making “The Dark Tower” right now, but hopefully he’ll still be able to get around to that sooner or later. Instead he’s making “Rush” – a biopic that’s starting to look very box-office friendly after the relative success of last year’s Formula One doc “Senna,” and the continual rise of one of its stars, Chris Hemsworth. Hemsworth will play James Hunt, whose rivalry with Daniel Bruhl’s Niki Lauda will be the driving force (badumtish) of Howard’s film.
Although the film is yet to receive a release date, it makes sense for the early marketing material to make its way out now while the Formula One season is in full swing. In fact, interest in the sport may be peaking at the moment with a fascinating season unfolding in which six different drivers have won the first six races. Possibly aiming to cash in on that, a behind-the-scenes featurette has been released. It provides some context for those unfamiliar with the subject matter and the story of the two drivers, and shows how the racing footage is being put together to appease fans who will be looking for authenticity.
“I really do want Formula One fans to feel respected and to appreciate the movie, I suppose if I had one wish for it, it might be that,” says Ron Howard towards the end of the video – and that’s overwhelmingly what comes across. As much as there’s stuff here for a newcomer, this video is definitely preaching to the choir. But that’s not really a bad thing. The sport has a huge global audience and if Howard can get those fans on board early on, then word-of-mouth just may be strong enough that many more will follow. That certainly worked for “Senna,” admittedly on a much smaller scale, but “Rush” won’t be going far wrong if it bears similarities to Asif Kapadia’s film.
No release date yet, but will "Rush" be shifting gears in time for the awards season?