Chris Hemsworth is positioning himself as a motorsport enthusiast with deep family roots in off-road racing, framing this partnership as a passion project that brings Australian culture to global audiences just as the race celebrates its 50th anniversary.
Insiders note Wild State has been aggressively expanding beyond just Hemsworth vehicles—partnering with extreme sports icons like Robbie Maddison suggests they're building an action-adventure content empire, not just a star vanity project. The Extraction franchise connection signals high-octane action is the priority.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race's 50th Anniversary takes place this June in Australia's Northern Territory—one of the world's most remote and difficult off-road courses. Wild State's current slate includes Disney+ series Limitless, Netflix's Extraction franchise, Crime 101 with Amazon, and Corsair Code with Apple.
Chris Hemsworth is making a calculated bet that global audiences crave extreme motorsport content—and with his production company locking up exclusive rights to the Finke Desert Race ahead of its golden jubilee, he's betting big that this dusty Australian institution has international blockbuster potential.
Chris Hemsworth is trading in his Asgardian armor for something with a lot more dust and horsepower. The actor's Wild State media company—co-founded with Ben Grayson—has secured an exclusive partnership with Australia's infamous Tatts Finke Desert Race, Deadline can confirm exclusively. The deal covers development of multiple projects tied to the two-day motorsport event widely regarded as one of the most grueling off-road courses on Earth.
The centerpiece of the arrangement is a narrative feature film in early development that would serve as a starring vehicle for Hemsworth himself. Screenwriters Ricky Staub and Dan Walser are attached to pen the script, though plot details remain locked away tighter than a rally car's differential. Wild State isn't stopping at scripted content either—the production company is also developing unscripted projects around the race, including a collaboration with freestyle motocross legend Robbie Maddison as he attempts to conquer the Finke for the first time.
"Off road racing has been a passion in my family for a long time and we at Wild State are thrilled to partner with the Tatts Finke Desert Race on the eve of its 50th anniversary and bring this epic competition to a global audience," Hemsworth said in a statement. The timing is strategic: the partnership announcement drops just as preparations intensify for the race's golden jubilee celebration scheduled for June in Australia's Northern Territory.
The Tatts Finke Desert Race has earned its reputation as one of Australia's most prestigious annual sporting events, drawing competitors to navigate extreme terrain through some of the planet's remotest regions. For Wild State, this partnership represents another strategic addition to an increasingly stacked content portfolio that includes the Disney+ series Limitless with Hemsworth, Netflix's Extraction franchise—which spawned a sequel—the Amazon project Crime 101, and the upcoming Apple production Corsair Code.
What remains to be seen is whether Hemsworth himself will attempt to tackle the legendary course. Given his stated family passion for off-road racing and the cameras already circling for unscripted content, don't be surprised if the Thunder God himself eventually appears in the driver's seat rather than just producing from behind them.
