Autosportfoto

WRC stars in new movie

A hostile family feud which threatens to derail the hopes of a young Japanese rally driver graduating to the WRC is at the heart of a new movie out in Tokyo on friday (1 june).

Over Drive receives its official premiere in the Japanese capital, with a starring role for the FIA World Rally Championship, which inspired and contributed to many of the action sequences.

The film centres on Naozimi Hiyama, played by Mackenyu Arata, a gifted driver in the SCR Series whose goal is a career in the WRC - but whose callous attitude sets him on a collision course with his brother, team and sponsors.

Throughout the action-packed movie made by acclaimed Japanese director Eiichiro Hasumi, the rally footage provides many breathtaking moments and much of the scenery and settings are inspired by real WRC locations.

Large parts were shot in studios and on location in Japan, including a special stage across Tokyo's famous Rainbow Bridge. Other locations will be familiar to WRC fans, where computer generated imagery places actors and cars in well-known stages and landscapes around the world.

Hasumi and his creative team attended Neste Rally Finland in 2016 during the early stages of production to understand the real feeling of WRC.

Over Drive has turned out to be a unique co-operation between co-producers Robot Inc and the WRC TV operation and shows the best of rallying to a movie audience that may be unfamiliar with the sport.

Hasumi wanted to showcase the huge skill of WRC drivers and therefore his main character often watches world rally videos in his ambition to be the best.

"I'm constantly in awe of the way the WRC drivers take on the course at a speed that is just unbelievable for everyday folk. And it's different from other motor sports in that there's a closeness with the fans and I feel like they make it even more enjoyable for us," he said.

Fans looking forward to the international version will have to wait until later in the year but can watch a trailer below. More information on the movie can be found here.

Zdroj: wrc.com