Chris Hemsworth to star in Finke Desert Race film

Melbourne-born Hollywood star Chris Hemsworth is set to star in a feature film about the Finke Desert Race, with his production company confirming plans to bring the famous event to a “global audience”.

Wild State Productions, founded by Hemsworth and producer Ben Grayson, is responsible for blockbuster films such as Crime 101 and Extraction.

Now, Wild State has announced it is developing “multiple projects” around the Finke Desert Race, including a feature film that will star Hemsworth himself. The Thor and Mad Max: Furiosa star is an avid motorcyclist and recently starred in a motorcycle adventure documentary with his father called A Road Trip to Remember.

While further details on the Finke film are scarce, the production company hinted that freestyle motocross legend and stunt rider Robbie Maddison will be involved, as he takes part in the iconic Alice Springs event for the first time.

But while Maddison is famous for his work on two wheels, it appears he will compete in the race on four wheels, joining Jake Williams in an AMX Superstore-sponsored trophy truck. It is unclear how this fits in with the Hemsworth-led film productions.

The Finke Desert Race is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2026 and is due to take place from June 5–8 in Alice Springs. Featuring both cars and bikes, it sees competitors race across gruelling terrain from Alice Springs to the community of Aputula (also known as Finke) and back again for a total of 460km.

Hemsworth is not the first Hollywood star to lend his talents to the Finke Desert Race, with Eric Bana narrating a documentary titled Finke: There and Back in 2018. That film was directed by former Finke competitor, Dylan River (son of acclaimed director Warwick Thornton), and produced by Isaac Elliot, who also starred in the film as a competitor.