Chris Hemsworth as James Hunt: Rush Movie

Production is currently under way in London on director Ron Howard's biopic Rush, which is scheduled for release sometime next year. Rush is based on the true story of the fierce rivalry between Formula 1 racers James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth) and Niki Lauda (Daniel Brühl) in the 1970s.

The films is based on a script written by Peter Morgan (who brought us Frost/Nixon): it centers on the 1970s rivalry between Austrian champion Niki Lauda and his nemesis British driver James Hunt. The project is still at an early stage, there's no official release date yet.

Plot: "The story of Rush focuses on Niki Lauda, the Austrian three-time F1 champion who nearly died in a fiery crash in 1976, only to emerge six weeks later, still nursing severe burns on his face and head, to pursue his rivalry with fellow driver James Hunt."

Here's a short youtube video that talks about Niki Lauda's near fatal crash during the first lap of the 1976 German Grand Prix:

Check out some photos of Chris Hemsworth here:

Sources: Ron Howard, CeleBuzz