Here are some new photos of Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl at the German premiere of Rush over the weekend. I have to admit, I’m finally coming on board the Hemsworth train. Who knew it only took a haircut and some hair dye? Chris just looks so much more attractive with shorter, darker hair. The long blonde Thor-locks just make him look like Fabio.
What is interesting to me is that Chris really did promote Rush – he did a big promotional push overseas and it’s become increasingly clear that for Chris (and perhaps for Hollywood), Rush represents Chris’s big chance to be a proper film actor outside of comic book movies. So, how did Rush do with the American box office in its first weekend of wide release? Not all that great. Rush made $10.3 million and came in #3 in the North American box office, meaning that Americans still aren’t all that interested in Formula One, especially when we have NASCAR. That being said, it’s not all bad news – the film got solid-to-good reviews and Thor: The Dark World will probably make crazy money, so Chris will survive.
Meanwhile, Chris is still making $$$ and nowadays he doesn’t have to pretend to still be happy with a low-key, California-bohemian lifestyle, which is what he and Elsa Pataky were selling just last year. Chris and Elsa have just purchased an $4.8 million Malibu estate – you can see photos of the place here. It’s “over 6,000 sq. ft. with five bedrooms, a library and a state of the art kitchen. The large property also has stunning ocean views.” Chris bought it from Paul Hogan (Crocodile Dundee!!). Welcome to the big leagues, Chris.
PS… Is Daniel Bruhl’s girlfriend wearing the exact same dress as Christina Hendricks?!
Photos courtesy of WENN.
i think the real question is who wore the floral print better, christina or this other chick?
This other chick hands down
Hemsworth and Channing Tatum are cut from the samr cloth. Mediocre actors with lunk head good looks who seem to be able to get employment in Hollywood and have huge cache among VIP’s in the industry. Strange.
THIS
I think maybe being amiable, gracious, and beefcakey, plays a huge part in their success. There is just no good reason not to like them.
Mediocre talent is a pretty good reason to dislike an actor imo.
Are you not entertained?
IA Naye.
Plus they pick parts that play to their strengths and also makes fun of their shortcomings as actors.
@Naye
Cant say that I am tbh.
Let me clarify
likability sells.
You have to be a really really amazing actor to be the biggest prick ever and sell movies.
If you are attractive, and down to earth, your movie is much more likely to be supported, whether or not your talent merits it. It’s not like they cast him in Shawshank Redemption, which WOULD be offensive. He plays Thor for goodness sake.
@ naye.. Great gladiator quote!!
Question: If you think either Hemsworth or Tatum are mediocre, what exactly are you basing that on?
IMO, neither of them have had much of a chance to show off their range. It seems unfair to judge either of them before they’ve had a chance to prove whether they can act against type or not.
That is the beauty of a blog. It is for all opinions.
Absolutely … I just want someone to back up their opinion with some kind of reason. “Hated him in X”. Something. Anything.
What movies/roles have you seen? What exactly are you judging him on? Explain it to me.
This x2
I’ll agree that both are likable guys but great, charismatic actors they are not.
And no, Hemsworth does not get the blame for Rush not doing well. Hollywood wants him to succeed so he will be like teflon for the next couple of years.
Channing Tatum seems a lot more charismatic and likeable than Hemsworth though.
^^This.
Channing always seem more sincere to me. Something is off with CH.
@ Z
Yeah, Channing is very talkative, CH doesn’t really talk much about anything… at all
You nailed it Eliza. I just don’t get their appeal…Hollywood needs to stop pushing them down our throat…or at least mine
So CH acting was pretty bad in Rush like in Thor?
I saw the movie this weekend and it is actually a compelling, true story. CH was surprisingly good. Ron Howard did a great job with this movie.
Lunkhead — what a great word. Love it!
I agree 100%. Complete bore to me.
What’s funny is that they both have the same agent lol.
I disagree tho. I think they are decent actors it’s not like they are playing hard roles.
I’m curious … exactly what role, other than “Thor,” are you posters basing your assumption that Chris Hemsworth is just a dumb beefcake who can’t act???
Lol. I still remember his horrible acting in Home & Away. Granted, most acting on that show is horrible and not always the actors’ fault.
What exactly are “lunk head” good looks, Eliza? Are you saying that if someone is attractive you assume they aren’t intelligent? That says a great deal more about you than it states about your opinions of them. Stereotyping really needs to stop. If you don’t like their acting, why not just say you think they are terrible actors?
I agree. It’s interesting but if they were women, with the same mediocre talent and they kept getting high profile gigs. Gossip would be rife with casting couch accusations.
I saw it this weekend and really loved it. It was a pleasant surprise – my husband dragged me – I really was not interested in seeing Thor drive a race car. The acting was surprisingly good and the story was compelling.
This! I loved this movie. It was a great blend of story telling and racing action scenes. Chris is HOT in this, playing the playboy, bad boy.
By all accounts, it’s very true to the 1976 story. Niki Lauda helped the screenwriter.
See this folks, it’s very good!
I loved it! And I got dragged by my hubby too.
I also got dragged to see this. It was surprisingly great! I loved it. Their chemistry was wonderful. Loved how they brought out the “worst” in each other, but that eventually brought out their best. Please don’t dismiss this film as a “guy’s 1976 racing movie” with mediocre actors. It is worth watching. Funny, touching, and interesting. Go see it- it’s worth it.
Ron Howard makes good movies.
No I don’t think CH will get blamed. I don’t see it as a huge box office movie esp in America. It will probably do better outside the US where people know and enjoy Formula One and some like me who watched every now and again but even as a little kid remembered Niki Lauda’s accident.
ITA! This movie is doing pretty well outside of the US. It’s an excellent film with a surprisingly good performance by Hemsworth. I honestly didn’t know he had it in him.
It wasn’t the Formula 1 thing that turned me off from this movie. It was the preview. It made the movie sound like just another “Super Star Athlete + Victory + Womanizing + Excess” type of film. I’m just so damn sick of that trope that I can’t bear to pay to see another movie like this.
That’s not what it was at all. It was great.
I don’t think anyone will get blamed for it. It’s just that no one (in America) gives a crap about Formula 1.
And also it looked boring as hell.
Yup, the movie will make a lot more cash outside of the US (it already has), and it only took $38 mil to make, so it will end up in the black, financially.
It is rated R, I have heard it is very graphic in terms of injuries etc (doesnt open in my market for 2.5 more weeks), it was never made to be a broad-appeal moneymaker.
Instead it’s a ‘Hemsworth can act’ movie, and pretty much all the reviews praised Chris’ acting (and the movie overall). So I think it’s a mission accomplished, for Chris, career/industry-wise.
Definitely one of those niche movies, but I wish more people would go see it.
I grew up following F1 so I loved it (despite the huge artistic license Ron Howard took) but my boyfriend (who is now forced to watch F1) literally started snoring during the movie!
I saw it and liked it a lot. It took me back to movies like Driven and Days of Thunder and I’m not into racing at all. I was entertained but I will say I saw Incideous the same day and liked it more. I know, two completely different movies yet both were good IMO.
Yeah this exactly.
I’m not a Formula 1 fan at all but went to see it in the cinema because nothing else was on. I was pleasantly surprised! The movie is a really beautiful drama that follows the lives of two F1 drivers, the rivalry between the two of them and stuff going on in their personal lives. There are some pretty intense scenes with car crashes and the injuries sustained from those that were a little difficult to watch.
Daniel Bruhl was excellent in it, making a character that would normally very annoying and unlikable sympathetic. I have to say Olivia Wilde was fantastic too, despite a fairly small role. Hemsworth was fine. He was perfectly solid in the role but far from fantastic.
Haha! That wasn’t supposed to be a review but there you go!
So basically this is a copy paste of the film Driven? No thanks.
@Rosie, no, this actually happened, the rilvalries, injuries and shagging. Niki Lauda still work with Mercedes in F1.
@Rosie,
What? Um. No. This is based on a true story.
Maybe Driven was inspired by that as well, but “Let’s remake a Renny Harlin movie starring Sylvester Stallone and Burt Reynolds” said no one ever.
I don’t think you can generalize that nobody in the US cares about Formula One. People are building F1 tracks in the US. It’s televised here…I know, because my son sets his alarm to get up at odd hours on weekends so he can watch the race. However, I don’t believe the movie is about Formula One, it’s about two men who happened to be Formula One drivers, and the rivalry between them. I’ve heard it’s the best thing Ron Howard has done, and he’s done some fine movies.
No, Olivia Wilde will be blamed.
Ha! I was about to post something similar.
HAHAH exactly. The curse of Olivia strikes again!
Lol true.
She should really go back to TV. I’m sure she’d find great success.
Nice house. I want it.
It was a superb movie. The audience on Rotten Tomatoes gave it a 94 and critics 88. That’s about as high as you ever see on there. Ron Howard never puts out a bad movie and he didn’t here. Ron’s Cinderella Story with Russell Crowe didn’t do that great either and it was excellent, so much better than I thought it would be. I can’t believe the crap that gets made and good films don’t get the box office they deserve.
I agree! Sometimes people don’t give movies the chance they deserve!
I agree with you about all the crap that gets made. I actually want to see this movie myself.
You will not be disappointed. This is a great story.
He won’t be blamed, he’s a man. Men can survive several bombs in Hollywood, women not so much.
Jennifer Aniston and Cameron Diaz and Sarah Jessica Parker are still working.
For real. Jennifer Aniston is the worst. How does she still get work?
I don’t know about SJP, as I’ve only seen her in First Wives Club, but Cameron Diaz!? YES! Good Lord, I winced every time she spoke a line or came on screen in Gangs of New York–and she got to act with Daniel Day Lewis!! WTF?
And the only Jennifer Aniston movie I’ve been able to get through is Horrible Bosses–the only time I found her funny was at the end was when she was cussing Dale out while simultaneously flipping Motherf*cker Jones off, while he was filming her through a window.
Cameron Diaz is extremely talented as a comedic actress and can carry a movie and has and can make an average movie better and has.
I think Aniston’s films still make money even though they suck. Diaz had a lull there for awhile and is nowhere near the popularity she enjoyed at the turn of the century.
For the exception, of “We’re the Millers” JA is never the star. They always match her up with a bigger male star or she’s playing in a ensemble. Also, they can get her for cheap. According to Forbes, she now makes $5 million a film. I believe Cameron still commands $15 mil a film but,Cameron can carry a movie “Bad Teacher” made over $100 million. SJP, I only know “Sex in the City”.
I saw Rush this weekend and honestly, I thought it was an amazing movie. My husband and I both really enjoyed and thought it was much better than we expected going in.
Exactly. Anyone should know that Ron Howard is always strong on storyline and the human side of any story and not just filler doing a Formula 1 racing movie.
Mr. Rochester enjoyed it as much as I did. There are many reasons it is a good movie. I would also say the movie they are trying to hook you with in the trailer is not exactly what you get on screen – and that is to everyone’s advantage.
Total agreed Miss J! I was surprised of how moving the film was.
But I am sure Mr Rochester enjoyed it in an entirely different way than you did…
And that is the idiocy of the people who made the promos for this movie. A better smattering of scenes that showed the emotion of the movie and storyline compared to car crashes would sell the movie better to women.
Me hope so,muscle man with little arms
“Rush made $10.3 million and came in #3 in the North American box office, meaning that Americans still aren’t all that interested in Formula One, especially when we have NASCAR.”
It’s a great movie. Even people who have bad taste for enjoying NASCAR should give it a try. Ha!
I am looking forward to it!
You know, there is a world beyond the U.S., and that world loves F1 not unlike football. And that world outside remembers pretty well Nikki Lauda, James Hunt and classic F1, and is already making Rush a hit worldwide. So who cares how it does in the “domestic” market?
Thank you for bringing common sense here!!! Nikki Lauda is a F1 living legend.
Formula 1 is clearly more popular outside of the US, especially in Europe, but I think you needn’t be a fan to watch and enjoy it, as the film’s underlying theme is the rivalry between Hunt and Lauda, between the talented, easy-going playboy and the perfectionist. Lauda almost died – and returned to racing only six weeks later, which I find both terrifying and courageous.
I am going to watch the film with some colleagues, which will be fun, because some of the blokes are really into F1 racing (certain aspects are in our line of work) and will discuss technical goofs right in the cinema, while I am lapping up Daniel Bruehl’s Austrian accent.
It’ll also do decent business in digital download and on TV. There are NASCAR and F1 nuts, but most people just don’t care that much. I’ll happily watch it when it comes to my screen at home, but I don’t care enough to pay to see it in a theatre.
As long as CH gets decent reviews, he’ll be okay. He still has Thor to fall back on. It’ll buy him another shot at leading man movies.
I hate cars and driving but cannot wait to see it (on the 17th) for one very tall, very handsome reason. Even my BFF, who just saw it in CT and who loves to hate on Chris’ acting, said it was very good and he was good in it.
It’s a really great movie Anna! I know jack all about Formula 1 racing and was very entertained by the movie. While the Lauda character is more compelling because of his comeback story, Chris still did a really good job with his role too.
Ron Howard said this actually wasn’t a big buget film, so they’ll probably make their money back easily.
WOO-HOO. That movie is my early bday present (comes out a week prior). They’re currently at $23 mil worldwide not counting this week’s international grosses – against a $38 mil budget. So I am optimistic 🙂
I didn’t expect this one to do huge domestic box office because of the subject, because human interest stories don’t seem to do big box office these days (which is a shame), and because it might not appeal to the Thor crowd. But the good reviews are enough for everyone associated to come out unscathed, and it’s not like it bombed. There are films that opened this week that got even more promotion and pandered more to a mainstream audience that did worse at the box office and got much worse reviews.
I grew up wathing Formula 1 and I can not wait to see this movie as soon as it comes in cinemas in my country. Niki Lauda is a living legend! And I am sure he wouldn’t give just like that his well respected name to Ron Howard if he didn’t know that he will make an amazing movie. That being said, I am also huge fan on Ron Horward’s work. Niki Lauda said recently that he really loved movie. And as much as I know here in Europe movie is already box office success. I do apologize for my english.
I have a feeling I will like the movie as well:) And I never had any doubt in would be successful over there. And your English is just as good and proper as anyone else’s on the Internet:)
Yes, it is totally Chris Hemsworth’s fault his movie did not sell in the U.S. Just like it is Johnny Depp’s fault and Will Smith’s fault and Charlie Hunnum’s fault and Ryan Reynolds’ fault and Jeff Bridges’ fault!
If it just wasn’t for all these deep, intellectual young folk with their deep, intellectual movies in the top ten of our box office and all that Shakespeare they are reading these days……
Lol I love this comment. I hate to see films like thrown to the box office wolves. The studios make enough money on crappy mainstream blockbusters to pay for the quality niche films that are probably destined to be appreciated by a smaller audience (barring a stroke of luck, or Weinstein.) I’d take a dozen of these kind of films over even the ‘best’ superhero flick.
At this point, I would settle for any hit movie not starring cartoon characters:(
I’m a big F1 fan due to the influence of hanging out with a bunch of expat Austrians in LA. From the Rush movie posters all over town, I had no idea it was a film about F1. There was just Chris Hemsworth mug which turned me off because I think he is a wooden actor. Anyway, when I saw a New York Times article about the film and read some good reviews, I found out what it was about and will see it. However, the trailer did not do the film any service. It looks a melodramatic love story, as oppose to an exciting human drama centered around the very unique world of F1. I understand the rationale of the appealing to female audience by having the girlfriend scenes dominate the trailer, but it was a badly edited and conceived trailer.
I saw Rush this weekend and really enjoyed it, of course I’m a huge open wheel fan and have been lucky enough to go to an F1 race. I don’t know if your not a race fan if you would enjoy this movie or not, there are some technical racing aspects of it, but I felt they kept the movie rolling pretty well. As for the actors, Daniel was great as Lauda, but what surprised me the most was Chris, I cannot stand him as an actor his Thor was so wooden, but I felt he showed some real emotion in this movie, so there might be some hope for him yet.
Its not on my list of must sees mainly because the subject matter does not interest me that much. One of the UK reviews said Chris was okay in it but he lacked the energy and charisma of James Hunt. Chris does okay as an actor but in THOR his range was limited in part due to material and maybe in part due to his style. I remember him in Home and Away and he was pretty bland back then. Still it has not bombed, just not a huge film.
I don’t give a hoot about formula one. I thought this movie was fantastic. Just incredible. Ron Howard makes great movies.
He is FINE!!!!!
Ron Howard managed yet again to make something I wouldn’t normally be interested in absolutely stunning. That being said, Chris H was cast I think because he looked so much like the real James Hunt, not because he can act. Sadly he’s proven that. Daniel is a far better actor but sadly, the rat-faced guy (all makeup of course, he’s adorable) doesn’t get the attention both in real life and in the movies.
You can’t sell someone as a sex symbol and a family man at the same time. It doesn’t work. Fans get confused. OK I am supposed to get excited about his shirtless scenes, but it feels inappropriate as he is also married and hiding behind his wife’s skirt. Can’t play the game when someone is obviously unwilling to play.
And sadly, for most fans lack of excitement means not bothering to buy tickets.
It’s actually more worrying that the film got good reviews but is still getting such a lukewarm box office performance – says a lot about Chris Hemsworth’s box office pull as an actor. People went to watch Thor for Thor, not Chris, and on his own he doesn’t have that strong a fan base.
No he hasn’t. Despite he is hot and, just my two cents, he can manage to act decently, it seems like he is missing emotional depth in roles. I have seen him in Thor, the Avengers and Snow White, and he is bland….and boring.
I don’t know what is wrong with him in movies, maybe just bad management or, as someone already pointed out, he is too busy hiding behind his wife’s skirt all the time. Quite annoying having a partner who’s trying to meddle with your career and interviews 24/7…. Maybe he needs to pull a Brad Pitt’s affair stunt lol
Also true that fans and audiences usually confuse real life with movie roles, unless you’re so good at acting that whatever you do in life has no impact on your career (see douchebag Leo Di Caprio… Can’t stand him in interviews but I saw so many of his movies, great actor!)
The demographic that lines up to watch franchises like Thor is a lot younger than the demographic that would be able to identify with the story in Rush.
I think one major problem is the fact that the two F1 drivers in the film are unknown to Gen Y, never mind some of the younger generation who flock to franchises.
It’s not an issue of Hemsworth not having box office pull, but also a case of the story/era/genre. Most people either have no idea about Formula 1 or can’t be bothered.
Formula 1 is more a European sport [has a larger fan base in Europe than the United States].
Also I think that when the term box-office is used, it shouldn’t be restricted to the US box office as being the only box office that matters.
There are billions more people outside the United States, after all.
I think most cinema goers are spoiled with too many franchises and sequels, that they have been conditioned to appreciate lame repetition more so than interesting stories/biographies.
This film is essentially a guy type of film in that it is about Formula One. It is also set in a bygone era. Young cinemagoers and Gen Y are used to swimming with the current of political correctness.
Daniel Brühl is also not as prominent [in terms of media bytes] as Chris Hemsworth. Personally I loved Brühl in Goodbye Lenin where he had a lead role, but in American films, he’s been relegated to co-star quality. I also think he has been in more foreign films. In any case, I think he is a better quality dramatic actor than Hemsworth, whose resume tends to sit on the stereotypical superhero category and maybe that’s why this film was necessary for Hemsworth to do, to shift away from Thor.
Hemsworth shouldn’t get blamed. But I was surprised about how Hemsworth’s character is shown [posters, promos] to be more prominent, relegating Lauda to bit part status [in adverts at least].
Anyway, Niki Lauda likes the film and that is what matters more than what film critics will say.
But if you had to go by real-life success stories. Niki Lauda’s story wins out. Not only did he survive a horrendous fire, but he went on to succeed in many other ventures beyond driving.
I saw the film this past weekend and it was excellent. I live in America and the theater was packed. Sorry to hear the box office wasn’t that good.
It is based on the rivilary between British F1 racer James Hunt and Austrian Niki Lauda. The acting was solid and Ron Howard did a great job bringing the thrill and dread of F1 racing to life.
I don’t care about formula one but I saw this film and its great. Hemsworth is very good in this as is everyone else. The film was perfectly cast. It’s also well written and has good flow. its a good mixture of racing action and other things. Oh and the way Ron Howard shot it is beautiful. It’s a good film. I really and truly recommend it.