Eric Bana is preparing to rev his engine as a Jack of many trades now that he's set to write, star, and co-direct a movie based on the inspiring comeback story of Mike 'The Bike' Hailwood. Bana's Pick Up Truck Pictures and Robert Connolly's Arenamedia have recently acquired the rights to turn the life and times of Hailwood into a major motion picture, with Bana assuming the lead role of Mike 'The Bike' Hailwood.
To give you a bit of background, Hailwood is hailed by many to be the greatest motorcycle racer of all time. As part of a bold move, Hailwood retired from the racing circuit at the peak of his career in 1967, after winning 12 races at the Isle of Man TT. He then worked toward reclaiming his position among the racing elite in 1978, while straddling a Ducati.
If all of those achievements sound a bit ho-hum to those not interested in the art of conquering the open road, you might be interested to know that Hailwood kicked his career back into gear by entering what is considered to be the most dangerous motorsports event the world has ever know, which has a recorded 151 fatalities since its 1907 debut. The race that involves whizzing down public roads at high speeds along the British island is quite the sight to see, and anyone who's participated in the event will tell you that you only survive it by the seat of your pants. Sadly, Hailwood passed at the age of 40 while traveling with his daughter. The pair had been struck by a truck while traveling to a nearby restaurant.
“We are absolutely thrilled that Eric Bana and Robert Connolly have taken Mike’s story to adapt into a feature film about his historic ‘comeback’ race win,” said Hailwood’s widow Pauline Hailwood, and their son David. “We are delighted that Mike will be depicted by Eric Bana, an actor with an immense passion and knowledge of motorsports, Mike’s career, and a rider himself.”
Bana's last and only directorial effort was for the 2009 sports documentary LOVE THE BEAST.
We'll be sure to bring you more details related to Bana and Connolly's Mike 'The Bike' Hailwood project as it develops.