HOLLYWOOD, CA (BRAIN) Monday August 13 2012 10:08 AM MT—Hollywood puts cycling in the limelight with Columbia Pictures’ soon-to-be-released "Premium Rush," a high-action thriller that offers a vivid take on urban cycling. The movie, being widely hyped online and in TV commercials, hits theaters Aug. 24.
Starring Joseph Gordon-Levitt and Michael Shannon, the thriller follows Wilee (Gordon-Levitt), a risk-taking bike messenger, as he races across Manhattan to make a seemingly routine delivery in 90 minutes—a so-called premium rush, hence the movie’s title.
As events unfold, Wilee discovers a corrupt cop (Shannon) on his tail, in deadly pursuit for the package’s mysterious contents, and he soon begins the ride of his life.
Directed by action veteran David Koepp ("Mission: Impossible"), "Premium Rush" promises all the thrills one could wish for in a summer blockbuster with its high-speed chases, bike skids and ensuing crashes—all amidst the live traffic of New York City.
Coincidentally, the movie was filmed at the same time as "Triple Rush," a reality TV series about New York bike messengers, and features many of the show’s cycling stunt doubles. Gordon-Levitt performs a majority of the stunts himself on Wilee’s Surly fixie, smashing into a cab and stitching up his arm in the process.
The 91-minute film is rated PG-13 for violence, intense action and language.
