Ron Howard‘s race-car biopic Rush, the story of Formula 1 driver Niki Lauda, will begin shooting this weekend. Ron Howard picked up the film after his passion project, The Dark Tower, which was going to star Javier Bardem, was shelved. Rush focuses largely on Lauda’s relationship with fellow Formula 1 driver, James Hunt, and the rivalry that grew between the two drivers.
The Austrian born Lauda will be played by Daniel Brühl, who came on the radar after Quentin Tarantino’s Inglourious Basterds, in 2009, and the British James Hunt, will be played by Thor star Chris Hemsworth.
Rush will be a great career boost for both actors who are each just finding their footing in Hollywood. The script was written by Peter Morgan, the man behind Clint Eastwood’s Hereafter and another Howard film, Frost/Nixon.
Over the weekend Ron Howard will shoot some racing scenes at Nurburgring Race Track in Germany, which won’t feature any of the actors. The official principle photography of the film doesn’t begin until later this year, once Hemsworth wraps The Avengers and Snow White and The Huntsman.
Rush will also star Alexandra Maria Lara, who is best known from her role as Annik Honore, in Anton Corbijn 2007 film, Control.
Due to Rush’s filming this year, we can expect to see Howard’s next film in cinemas sometime in 2012.