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Olivia Wilde Lands ‘Rush’ Role Of Suzy Miller; Russell Crowe For Richard Burton Cameo?

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday October 4, 2011 @ 11:52am PDTTags: Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Eric Fellner, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Olivia Wilde, Ron Howard, Rush, Russell Crowe, Tim Bevan
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: It’s a role that a lot of actresses wanted, but I’m told that Olivia Wilde will play 1970s supermodel Suzy Miller in Rush, the Ron Howard-directed Formula One drama about the rivalry between drivers Niki Lauda (Daniel Bruhl) and James Hunt (Chris Hemsworth). Cross Creek’s Brian Oliver is producing with Imagine’s Brian Grazer and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Cross Creek funded the film with Exclusive Media Group.

Miller fell in love with and married Hunt, a handsome, womanizing driver, but the most interesting part of their relationship is how Miller soon fell in love with Hunt’s actor pal, Richard Burton. Hunt and Burton famously negotiated a “transfer” of assets, with Burton paying the $1 million divorce settlement that Hunt owed Miller. Burton and Miller were married shortly after.

I’m told that Howard hopes to recruit his A Beautiful Mind star Russell Crowe to play the small role of Burton in the Peter Morgan-scripted film. Wilde, who’ll next be seen starring in Butter, is repped by WME and Untitled along with UK-based Hamilton Hodell.

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Cross Creek Makes Three-Year Distribution Deal With Universal Pictures

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Wednesday September 28, 2011 @ 11:27am PDTTags: Adam Fogelson, Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Chris Hemsworth, Cross Creek Pictures, Daniel Bruhl, Daniel Radcliffe, Darren Aronofsky, Donna Langley, Eric Fellner, George Clooney, Ron Howard, Tim Bevan, Timmy Thompson
Mike Fleming

BREAKING: Universal Pictures has made a three-year deal to distribute at least six pictures produced and funded by Cross Creek Pictures. The first film in this deal will be Rush, the Ron Howard-directed Formula One drama. Cross Creek, run by president Brian Oliver and CEO Timmy Thompson,  has quickly emerged as a significant film financier. They got started with the Darren Aronofsky-directed Black Swan and continue with the upcoming George Clooney-directed The Ides of March and Daniel Radcliffe-starrer The Woman in Black, which will be distributed by CBS Films.

The deal was announced by Universal Pictures chairman Adam Fogelson and co-chairman Donna Langley, along with Oliver and Thompson.

Cross Creek is partnered with Exclusive Media Group as co-financier and co-producer of Rush, the Howard-directed drama about the battle between ’70s Formula One racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt that stars Thor‘s Chris Hemsworth and Inglourious Basterds‘ Daniel Bruhl. Peter Morgan wrote the script, and Howard and the actors shot some footage during Formula One races held at Nurburgring Race Track in Germany. It was there, in the 70s, that Lauda was almost killed in a fiery accident that is a major part of the drama. The film seems a natural fit for Universal, since Oliver’s fellow producers are Imagine Entertainment’s Brian Grazer and Working Title partners Tim Bevan and Eric Fellner. Both Imagine and Cross Creek have overall deals at the studio.

Aside from pictures that Cross Creek brings into the equation, the company will likely become a financier of existing Universal projects getting close to green lights. The budgets of the films will range from $15 million-$65 million, with the average film costing between $25 million-$35 million. Cross Creek is set up to generate up to four films per year, with Universal to distribute at least two of them with a wide-release commitment. Read More »

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Toronto: ‘Intruders’ Helmer Juan Carlos Fresnadillo Is ‘Highlander’ Frontrunner

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Monday September 12, 2011 @ 6:27am PDTTags: Bradley Cooper, Clive Owen, Daniel Bruhl, Danny Boyle, Highlander, Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, Justin Lin, Melissa Rosenberg, Neal Moritz, Sean Connery
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Spanish director Juan Carlos Fresnadillo, here for today’s world premiere of his latest film The Intruders, is Summit Entertainment’s choice to direct Highlander. That is the reboot of the 1986 film about immortals who battle with swords, and live and die by the mantra that “there can be only one.” Fresnadillo is now in discussions to direct a film that Summit will co-finance with RCR Media Group. Fresnadillo is also attached to direct a reboot of The Crow, which has Bradley Cooper attached.

This is a coveted job that became an open directing slot when Justin Lin dropped out to make the sixth installment of The Fast and the Furious.

Fresnadillo, who first attracted Hollywood’s attention with the genre film Intacto, followed with the superb 28 Weeks Later. Today he unveils Intruders, an intense psychological drama that stars Clive Owen as a father who cannot protect his young daughter from faceless intruders. The film also stars Daniel Bruhl, who starred Inglourious Basterds and next stars as Formula One racer Niki Lauda in the Ron Howard-directed Rush. The film is an acquisition title that is high on many buyers’ lists, and the director’s UTA reps are selling it. Read More »

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Ron Howard-Directed ‘Rush’ Revving Up This Week On German Formula One Track

By MIKE FLEMING JR | Tuesday September 6, 2011 @ 2:15pm PDTTags: Brian Grazer, Brian Oliver, Chris Hemsworth, Daniel Bruhl, Eric Fellner, Formula One, James Hunt, Niki Lauda, Peter Morgan, Ron Howard, Tim Bevan
Mike Fleming

EXCLUSIVE: Rush, the Peter Morgan-scripted drama about the battle between ’70s Formula One racers Niki Lauda and James Hunt, will rev up for action this week. The Ron Howard-directed film doesn’t really start principal photography until after Chris Hemsworth (he plays Hunt) completes Marvel’s The Avengers in a couple of months, but he and Inglourious Basterds‘ Daniel Bruhl (Lauda) will be around this weekend at Nurburgring Race Track in Germany. A race will be held there, featuring the Formula One classic cars that were driven during the 70s. Howard will be shooting 35mm all weekend with his cast.

This is more than just an opportunity for Howard to get generic footage on a race track; Nurburgring plays a pivotal part in the drama. That’s the track where Lauda, when he was reigning world champion and the only driver to ever complete a lap on that track in less than 7 minutes, tried to rally the other drivers to boycott the German Grand Prix race from being held there in 1976 because he felt safety arrangements weren’t up to snuff. When the other drivers voted against it, Lauda took the wheel and crashed his Ferrari on the second lap. Because it was so early in the race, Lauda’s car was full of fuel; his face was badly burned and he inhaled toxic hot gases that scorched his lungs before three rival drivers got out of their cars and pulled him from the wreckage. The film focuses on Lauda’s competitive spirit, which prompted him to get back behind the wheel despite being in severe pain six weeks later in Italy to stop Hunt from taking the world title. Read More »

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