1st look at Ron Howard's F-1 racing flick, 'Rush'

Is it possible Universal has Oscar hopes for Rush? The Formula One racing flick certainly has the pedigree, with the Frost/Nixon duo of writer Peter Morgan(also wrote The Queen) and director Ron Howard. The studio recently awarded the biopic a September 20th 2013 release date, which could put it into the thick of next year's action, and now we're getting our first photos from it as well.What was the last racing flick that really mattered at the Academy Awards, anyway? Grand Prix?

If it does turn out to be an Oscar contender, that would catapult Chris Hemsworth into a whole new level beyond just just being a franchise heavyweight. The 1970s set flick chronicles the intense rivalry between the brash British racer, James Hunt(Hemsworth), and his Austrian nemesis, Nicki Lauda, played by Daniel Bruhl(Inglourious Basterds). Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer(The Tudors), Alexandra Maria Lara(Control), and Christian McKay(Me & Orson Welles) co-star. Check out the new snaps below....