Chris Hemsworth may reunite with "Rush" director Ron Howard for the drama "In the Heart of the Sea."
 
Howard ("Apollo 13," "A Beautiful Mind") is circling the Warner Bros. film that has already locked Hemsworth as the lead, according to Vulture. 

"Sea" centers on the first mate (Hemsworth) of the ill-fated 19th-century vessel the Essex, whose fatal run-in with a giant whale as the basis for Herman Melville’s classic "Moby Dick." 

"Sea" is based on the 2000 book by Nathaniel Philbrick. 

Howard has a lot on his plate, and its not clear at this point which project will become his next film, after "Rush" hits theaters this summer. In addition to "Rush," he's also attached to helm an adaptation of Neil Gaiman's "The Graveyard Book," as well as the J.J. Abrams-produced "All I've Got."

Meanwhile, the "Avengers" star Hemsworth was recently seen in "Red Dawn" and will soon reprise his signature role as the Marvel hero in "Thor: The Dark World."

"Rush," also starring Daniel Bruhl and Olivia Wilde, opens September 20.