“The Rush”, the film about Lauda and Hunt begins its promotion

Announced for 2013 and awaiting its first trailer, the highly anticipated *The Rush*, focused on the 1976 Lauda/Hunt duel, enters postproduction and is already deploying its commercial arsenal. Therefore, the dedicated website for the film has been launched, presenting several photos as well as the synopsis of the feature film: « Contrary to the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula One, *Rush* tells the true and exhilarating story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever known – Hunt, the playboy, and Lauda, his brilliant and methodical adversary. Inviting us to explore their private lives, both on and off the track, *Rush* follows these two drivers as they push each other to the physical and psychological limits, where there is no shortcut to victory or margin for error. If you make a mistake, it’s death! »

Ron Howard, holder of two Oscars for A Beautiful Mind and Frost/Nixon, recently shared the reasons that drove him to make this film: « In a way, it fulfills a fantasy and celebrates what humans can do, not just as athletes. In sports in general, we think: “I can’t believe he or she managed to do this or that!” [In motorsport,] there’s that, but there’s also the precision of driving, the speed they reach. They also face changing track conditions and weather. It adds a whole other, very modern dimension to the sport. That said, it remains something visceral, it’s still racing, and it always comes back to who will be the best. »

The American director, who was recently invited to drive the Pace Car during the NASCAR event held at the Indianapolis circuit, took the opportunity to immerse himself once again in the atmosphere of a paddock as he begins the post-production of the film The Rush: « I’m still hard at work on my film, so any time I can spend in the world of motorsports is really useful, just to capture its texture and nuances. We have finished filming, but there is still a lot to do in editing, sound, and special effects. I still have my director’s cap on; I’m not just promoting. »

Jeff Gordon, four-time NASCAR champion, confirms that the American director, also known for playing the role of Richie Cunningham in the cult TV series *Happy Days*, was not in Indianapolis as a tourist: “He is very eager to learn and also to share his thoughts on his project. It’s something like two years to make the film he’s working on. I think the story he’s telling, between Niki Lauda and James Hunt, is very interesting. In fact, during a plane trip a few years ago, I watched a documentary about James Hunt: he was quite a character. I can’t wait to see how they are going to tell this story. Ron Howard is [in Indianapolis] taking photos and asking questions, listening to the radio conversations. It was a very fun experience: he is really down to earth.”

Some, however, question the actual interest that audiences across the Atlantic will have in a film about a sport that remains far from attracting as many Americans as NASCAR or IndyCar. Ron Howard remains confident and is not worried about the film’s profitability: “Above all, because it was truly a project close to our hearts, we actually managed to make it for a price that means, although we want a lot of people to see it, there isn’t this commercial imperative to be a blockbuster for the investors to get their money back. So, it’s a big film, but people really gave their all and did everything they could to be a part of it because they believed in the script so much.” Regarding audience appeal, Ron Howard relies on his past experiences: “I learned with Apollo 13 [which he directed, editor’s note] that what the audience wants is for situations to be true, and that’s enough; there’s no need to make it more dramatic than necessary.”

Ron Howard, who has shared numerous behind-the-scenes photos on social media, is also reassured by the positive feedback from Formula One fans and notably from David Hunt, the brother of the 1976 world champion, who was initially skeptical: “He took me aside and said, ‘Your photos on Twitter have convinced people that you were doing it right, and I appreciate that because you said that’s what you wanted to try to do.’ They haven’t seen the finished film yet [but] I hope they’ll be even more convinced when it’s done. For that, we’ll probably have to wait until September 2013.