Just yesterday, we brought you the word that director Ron Howard’s Formula 1-inspired Rush had gotten a new release date.  Now we can bring you the first official images and synopsis from the picture.  Starring Chris Hemsworth and Daniel Brühl as F1 racers James Hunt and Niki Lauda, Rush centers on the real-life rivalry between the two.  Rush, also starring Olivia Wilde, Natalie Dormer and Alexandra Maria Lara, opens September 20th, 2013.  Hit the jump to see the new images and check out the official synopsis.

We have a few quick casting stories for you this fine morning (or early afternoon for those on the east coast).  First up, Alexandra Maria Lara (Downfall) will star opposite Chris Hemsworth in Ron Howard’s Formula One racing drama Rush.  Working from a script by Peter Morgan (Frost/Nixon), the story focuses on the real-life rivalry between British driver James Hunt and Austrian F1 champion Niki Lauda.  Lauda will be played by Inglourious Basterds‘ Daniel Brühl.  It’s interesting that the lead role seems to be Hunt even though Lauda nearly died in a fiery crash in 1976 but returned to the track just six weeks later to race Hunt.  Variety has no details on Lara’s character other than to say that she’s the female lead.

Hit the jump for casting news on Steven Soderbergh’s Magic Mike and Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby.