Two-time Academy Award winner Ron Howard ("A Beautiful Mind," "Frost/Nixon") has teamed up once again with fellow two-time Academy Award nominee, writer Peter Morgan ("Frost/Nixon", "The Queen"), on "Rush," a spectacular big-screen recreation of the merciless 1970s rivalry between racecar drivers James Hunt and Niki Lauda.
 
In the 1970s, the highly regarded Italian tool company Beta Utensili was an official supplier of some of the best F1 racing teams, and also directly involved in supporting the well-known driver Vittorio Brambilla, winner of the 1975 Austrian Grand Prix in Zeltweg, with the orange March 751 sponsored by Beta Utensili. Because of this heritage in racing, the company was invited to take an active role in the film production for "Rush," as part of a product placement project, supplying all the material required to accurately represent the environment of the pits and pit lane at that time.
 
The epic action-drama stars Chris Hemsworth ("The Avengers") as the charismatic Englishman James Hunt and Daniel Brühl ("Inglourious Bastards") as the disciplined Austrian perfectionist Niki Lauda, whose clashes on the Grand Prix racetrack epitomized the contrast between these two extraordinary characters, a distinction reflected in their private lives.  
 
Set against the sexy and glamorous golden age of Formula 1 racing, "Rush" portrays the exhilarating true story of two of the greatest rivals the world has ever witnessed — handsome English playboy Hunt and his methodical, brilliant opponent, Lauda. Taking us into their personal lives on and off the track, "Rush" follows the two drivers as they push themselves to the breaking point of physical and psychological endurance, where there is no shortcut to victory and no margin for error. If you make one mistake, you die.
 
Also starring Olivia Wilde ("TRON: Legacy") and Alexandra Maria Lara ("The Reader"), "Rush" is produced by Andrew Eaton ("A Mighty Heart"), Howard, Academy Award winner Brian Grazer ("Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind"), Eric Fellner ("Senna," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy"), Morgan and Brian Oliver ("Black Swan") and executive produced by Cross Creek Pictures, Exclusive Media, Todd Hallowell and Tim Bevan.  
 
For its part, Beta had to recreate much of the tools and tool storage from the period to match the setting of the new Ron Howard film, which takes place in 1976. This was important because most all of the racing teams in Formula 1 used Beta Tools but Universal Studios wanted to be sure that they were not using any Beta hand tools or tool storage that was introduced after 1976.
 
“It’s actually hard to watch movies or television from Europe involving cars, garages or auto technicians without seeing Beta Tools in the process,” says Nick White, national sales manager for Peerless Hardware, the North American import partner for Beta Tools of Italy. “Every time Beta is seen on television or the big screen, we can tell because our U.S. distributors see an increase in customers requesting the brand. Beta Tools has been the go-to tool for professional tool users in Europe and we are excited to introduce the brand to the U.S. market now.”
 
Since introducing the Beta Tools brand to the U.S. in 2012, Peerless has made the product line of tools and tool storage available through distributors such as Tool King, Pegasus Racing Supplies and Unique Truck Equipment.
 
Filmgoers may remember Beta Tools from another movie as well. Beta Tools also was featured in the film “The Transporter,” starring Jason Statham from 2002.
 
Universal Pictures will distribute the film in Italy with Andrea Leone Films, with Rai Cinema 01 Distribution. Rush was shot on location in the U.K., Germany and Austria.  To learn more visit, www.rushmovie.com.
 
To learn more about Beta tools distribution in the U.S., visit Peerless Hardware at peerlesshardware.com/.