MUMBAI: Oscar-winning director Ron Howard best known for his films A Beautiful Mind and The Da Vinci Code is set to direct the Formula 1 inspired movie Rush. The film will have Howard reunite with screenwriter Peter Morgan who had earlier paired on the Frost/Nixon.
 
Rush is about Niki Lauda’s 1976 season that features highlights like a rivalry with English racer James Hunt and a near-fatal crash in which Lauda lost the track, crashed, burned and went into a short coma. James Hunt won that race, but Lauda persisted in challenging him throughout other Grands Prix that year.
 
Lauda and Hunt, dominated Formula 1 in the 1970‘s but their contrasting lifestyles made for a compelling rivalry Hunt was known for his high-end London dining and party lifestyle while Lauda led a subdued life and once contemplated suicide during a low point in his career.

The 57-year-old director intends to shoot the film in Europe this year on a budget of around $ 50 million.