Movie about James Hunt

Not sure if anyone has posted this yet. Didn't know Ron Howard was even interested in cars.

Ron Howard has reportedly been lined up to direct a Formula 1 movie.

The project, titled Rush, is currently in development and will chart the rivalry between world champions Niki Lauda and James Hunt in the 1970s.

Green Zone director Paul Greengrass had originally been attached to the project, according to the Los Angeles Times's 24 Frames blog.

However, two anonymous production insiders claim that he has since departed to pursue other projects.

A representative for Howard told Entertainment Weekly that his adaptation of Stephen King's Dark Tower books would still begin production early next year.

Lauda, who is a triple Formula 1 world champion, almost lost his life in a serious accident at the 1976 German Grand Prix which left him with severe scarring from burns.

He now works as a motorsports commentator for German broadcaster RTL.

Hunt, who was famed for his playboy lifestyle and eccentricity on and off the track, won the world championship once in 1976 with McLaren.

He later worked alongside Murray Walker as a commentator for the BBC, but died of a heart attack in 1993 at the age of 45.

Peter Morgan, who collaborated with Howard on Frost/Nixon, has written the script for Rush.

The movie is currently being pitched to Hollywood studios, and it is envisioned that shooting will begin in Europe later this year.

It was reported last year that I Am Number Four actor Alex Pettyfer hopes to play Hunt in a self-produced adaptation of Tom Rubython's biography Shunt: The Story of James Hunt.

I'm not sure how I feel about that given Hollywood's past attempts to capture the essence of racing.

I suppose as long as he isn't racing spoons on a table with Stallone or smashing taxi cabs with Westley from the Princess Bride... they couldn't do any worse.

I wonder if he'll be wearing his pin,

"Sex, it's what's for breakfast."

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm not sure how I feel about that given Hollywood's past attempts to capture the essence of racing. I suppose as long as he isn't racing spoons on a table with Stallone or smashing taxi cabs with Westley from the Princess Bride... they couldn't do any worse.

He did Frost Nixon. If they keep it serious like that movie, I think it will be pretty good.

93EXCivic wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm not sure how I feel about that given Hollywood's past attempts to capture the essence of racing. I suppose as long as he isn't racing spoons on a table with Stallone or smashing taxi cabs with Westley from the Princess Bride... they couldn't do any worse.

He did Frost Nixon. If they keep it serious like that movie, I think it will be pretty good.

+1. Personally, I want to see it. I hope they mix in some period footage of the cars in action.

Per Schroeder wrote: I wonder if he'll be wearing his pin, "Sex, it's what's for breakfast."

It's actually "Sex, Breakfast of Champions"

And, it certainly is!

I posted a documentary on here a long time ago that I can't find... It was on James Hunt and Barry Sheene and it was called something like "When Playboys Ruled the World" or something close anyway.

If anybody remembers or can find the link to the video I'd appreciate it.

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I posted a documentary on here a long time ago that I can't find... It was on James Hunt and Barry Sheene and it was called something like "When Playboys Ruled the World" or something close anyway. If anybody remembers or can find the link to the video I'd appreciate it.

I remember that video. I watched it. It was awesome.

This guy deserves a Showtime series, I don't think a movie will cover it properly.

Development and pitching a movie are a LONG way from production. Although the release of Cars2's block-buster-breaking-coming-weekend-gross take, just might help.

Maroon92 wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I posted a documentary on here a long time ago that I can't find... It was on James Hunt and Barry Sheene and it was called something like "When Playboys Ruled the World" or something close anyway. If anybody remembers or can find the link to the video I'd appreciate it.

I remember that video. I watched it. It was awesome.

That was a great video. Forgot the name though. Sorta tragic, sorta great. I like it when people die in their prime rather than fade away. Especially characters like that. Live hard, die young.

The Selvedge Yard did a pretty nice profile of Hunt a while back.

"James Hunt bites girls' legs!!"

It was Hunt that got me interested in F1. The only time I saw him was when he came to my small home town in England for Tom Pryce's funeral. I hope they make the movie.

Hunt The Shunt and Lord Hesketh. That would make a great story if they do it right. His first wife ran off with Richard Burton and Kiki Raikonen (sp?) used "James Hunt" as a pen name when he first started racing. I stopped going to the Glen F1 events in '72 so I never saw him in person.

I saw Lauda race at WG. Interesting that he never had "full" plastic surgery, preferring to retain his scars from "the accident". The story of his much-younger wife (#2) who donated a kidney to him would be another good part of this story.

93EXCivic wrote:

Giant Purple Snorklewacker wrote: I'm not sure how I feel about that given Hollywood's past attempts to capture the essence of racing. I suppose as long as he isn't racing spoons on a table with Stallone or smashing taxi cabs with Westley from the Princess Bride... they couldn't do any worse.

He did Frost Nixon. If they keep it serious like that movie, I think it will be pretty good.

Ron Howard also has car movie directing cred too:

I like sex as much as the next man, unless the next man is James Hunt. --Niki Lauda

Yea, that's it..breakfast of champions. Love those stories.

Rob_Mopar wrote: Ron Howard also has car movie directing cred too:

Lets not forget...

If you have an hour to kill, see "When playboys ruled the world." Google it- speaks to the (interesting) excess' of F1 and MotoGP in 1976