Hollywood legend set to bring Finke Desert Race to the big screen

Chris Hemsworth has announced that the gruelling Finke Desert Race will get the Hollywood treatment in a feature-length movie. (AAP: Bianca De Marchi)

Central Australia's Finke Desert Race is set to get the Hollywood treatment in a feature-length film and documentary series, bringing one of Australia's most brutal outback off-road races to a global audience.

The annual race will be the focus of a new project of Chris Hemsworth's production company, Wild State.

The announcement comes as the Finke prepares to celebrate its 50th anniversary of the race that started with a group of motorcyclists wanting to race through the desert 230 kilometres to the Aputula/Finke community.

The race has evolved dramatically since its beginnings in 1976, with the introduction of cars in 1988 and major advances in automotive technology. Along the way, it has seen its share of triumphs, tragedy and heartbreak — providing rich material for the upcoming film's storyline.

Finke Desert Race committee vice-president Kelsey Branford said the news had been held tightly under wraps.

She said the scriptwriters are Dan Walser and Ricky Staub, who recently wrote Concrete Cowboys starring Idris Elba and Stranger Things' Caleb McLaughlin.

"[The production company] flew in about four or five weeks ago, and we had them talk to a whole bunch of people from all different parts of the race with two scriptwriters and the producer and the director," she said.

Ms Branford said there would be a role written specifically for Chris Hemsworth.

Kelsey Branford hopes the production supports local businesses and expertise. (Supplied: Finke Desert Race committee)

Ms Branford said that the film would hopefully focus on the "pointy end of the field", not just one of the hundreds of bucket-list competitors.

She said the feature-length film was only in the development stage, and there were many hurdles before audiences would see anything in cinemas.

No stranger to the desert, Chris Hemsworth starred in Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga. (Supplied: Warner Bros Pictures)

"Once the scriptwriters write it, it'll form part of a pitch package that they'll go out to studios with and then fully cost it … and see if anyone picks it up," she said.

Ms Branford said that once the production team arrived this week, they would be meeting with stakeholders.

"We've connected them with Screen Territory because we want to utilise as much local [expertise]."

Two-time King of the Desert , Rick Hall, who won the motorcycle category in 1999 and 2002, said a production team came to his house several weeks ago.

Rick Hall has