The hottest video circulating automotive sites today is the trailer for Rush. Last year we reported that some classic Nihon cars were spotted on set, specifically, two daruma Celicas and a kujira Crown Hardtop. Moreover, the screen shot above, which appears at 0:57 in the trailer, appears to be the exact scene being filmed in last year’s photo.
You can see the two Celicas positioned as they are in the shot, but it’s not clear whether the MS75 gets its baleen whale mug in frame. We hope it does simply because of its unique face. This scene is meant to take place at Fuji Speedway but was actually shot in the UK, and producers recruited the cars from actual British JNC members. We’re glad to see they’ve made the cut!
Just released Monday, the trailer previews Ron Howard’s visually stunning film about Formula 1, specifically the 1976 season, in which the epic rivalry between James Hunt and Niki Lauda played out. It opens September 13.
The trailer seems to imply the helo lift-off is a result of Lauda’s crash at the ‘Ring, not Fuji. But that just may be how the trailer is cut. Regardless, it looks spectacular! Enthused totally about this film, and all I’ve seen on it to date. A vague contact was shooting stills for some of the earlier dev scenes too, and they look just as enthralling…
Pedants corner: There was comment on the appropriate use of romanji on Japanese license plates, and if the Daruma are in Germany as implied by the trailer, then romanji (including ‘Fuji’ as a legit plate) is entirely appropriate. While zoll-plates have fallen out of favor, the Japanese zoll merely converted the kanji & hiragana into romanji for international use:
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8107/8633546795_0054c22565_b.jpg
http://farm9.staticflickr.com/8101/8633546751_484109c49b_b.jpg
That makes sense! Thanks for piecing together the puzzle. So were they placed on Japanese cars imported to Europe by traveling Japanese nationals (though Crown sedans would seem more appropriate)? If so, I’d really be impressed with their attention to detail!
I think while an international registration plate could be affixed to any country of origin car, in this case the assumption is they are being used on Japanese cars outside of Japan to show they are properly registered in their home country. A Fiat sold & registered in Japan could of course be similarly presented.
In the case of these cars, because of the low likelihood of another nationality doing this, it could also be assumed they were driven by Japanese. Unlike perhaps US, or German zoll plates which were usually used on tourist-delivery sales of the time – as our Kombi was – ordered in California, made in German, zoll-plated, and driven by neither Californians or Germans in neither California, and only for a few weeks in Germany…
Looks a little too ‘hollywood’ which is a real shame. Nonetheless will be getting my $15 to see it in cinema.
Just like I used to go see Bruce Lee movies for the Kung Fu.
I will go see this one for the cars.
I’d only heard a tiny bit about this film, from this site, actually. They’ll most certainly get my $ when it comes out. We MUST support any Hollywood film depicting any historical racing, and at this point, I can only hope Mr. Howard doesn’t (hasn’t) ‘over-Hollywood’ it.
I was hearing that there are plans (possibly already happening?) to make the movie from the book “Go like Hell” about Ford’s GT40. If you haven’t read that book, #1: SHAME ON YOU, and #2: Go read it. Again, as long as it doesn’t go overboard with effects and B.S., I can’t wait.
Kuroneko: So if the snapshot at the top of the page is supposed to be Fuji, then the plates on the cars are incorrect, no? Not to be too pedantic or anything…
I wouldn’t think the Europeans would ship Japanese cars from Europe to Japan for the race. If they did, they would most likely be Euripean brands, not Toyotas.
The pics snapped on set said the scene was supposed to be Fuji, but who really knows. Lots can change in the editing room, or the trailer may cut the scenes out of sequence, or the photog was misinformed to begin with. I guess we’ll find out Sept 13.
Well… I love pedantry to start. So seeing as you asked, technically yes this would likely be the case, with a Japanese international registration plate being unlikely being used in Japan.
However, as per the above comments too, tourist-delivery and first race of season for the F1 circus could change this. Quite possible mechanics, support crew, or even drivers might purchase a Japanese car in Japan, have a zoll plate affixed to allow it to accompany them for the rest of the season as their toy. Which would then allow the set-up above to be at any of the year’s circuits – Fuji included.
Or, they were merely Japanese cars accompanying the support teams. As the examples furnished above are competition cars, and this is where most Japanese zoll plates seem to appear (at least in period documentation), this is perhaps the most likely explanation.
On which, as part of the story-boarding the production crew would have researched period photographs, and perhaps duplicated scenes from period photographs. Not being able to source the same model cars, simply screwed their remade plates to whatever was at hand. Neko.
Thanks. I suppose if the shot ends up representing Fuji (or the producers erred), the plates can easily be airbrushed over and changed. I am glad, in this age of CG effects, they used real cars, and that they used CG effects just for the crashes. This movie could be very, very good.
I’ll go, but am really just waiting for a movie about Henri Toivonen and Group B rallying…
Everyone’s a critic. “Too Hollywood” = just enough to get funding and get made.
Howard probably has a lot of respect for the subject and I bet that this will be the closest any of us get to a “good” movie about motorsports in our generation. Maybe ever.
I’m not really a Lauda fan, but the 70’s were my favorite period for Formula 1. I hope we get to see a lot of background, Cevert’s death and Stewart’s retiring as a result sort of seems appropriate when you hear Lauda talking about 2 drivers dying per year.
Where are you guys going that you pay $15 for a ticket? I go to nice theaters opening night and pay under $10 for regular admission. Haha.