Posted by: Brad Sturdivant
About six months ago, we posted news that Alex Pettyfer had signed on to star in a biopic of Formula 1 British race-car driver James Hunt. But that was a quick announcement and nothing has followed since. Well, I guess what’s followed is that Alex Pettyfer’s subsequent films (I AM NUMBER FOUR and BEASTLY) both bombed at the box office and the actor has destroyed his reputation. So it doesn’t bode well for him that proven star Chris Hemsworth has singed onto competing James Hunt project called RUSH that has Ron Howard attached to direct from a script by Peter Morgan. Me thinks Pettyfer’s project will soon be scrapped, if it hasn’t been already.
To be fair, Howard’s project is different from the one set up at Dreamworks. His focuses on the rivalry between Australian Niki Lauda and James Hunt. The film will presumably follow the events in 1976 where Lauda crashed his Ferrari and nearly died. But he fought back and continued to compete with Hunt before finally losing the World’s Driver Championship title to Hunt. If all goes well, filming will start in early 2012.
Source: Deadline
Tags: Alex Pettyfer, chris hemsworth, movie news, peter morgan, Ron Howard
I have my doubts that the Formula one biopics will be huge box office successes.
But if the movies are done my money at the box office goes to Alex Pettyfer’s movie since I like his movies.