Wachowski’s Give Gas to Speed Racer

Wednesday, November 01, 2006
By: Ryan Ball

Larry and Andy Wachowski, the sibling duo behind the Matrix films, are pushing forward with plans to make a live-action feature based on the classic 1960s anime series Speed Racer, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Talk of such a project has been circulating through Tinsel Town for more than a decade but now it appears it may actually happen with the Wachowskis officially attached to write and direct and their long-time collaborator Joel Silver committed to producing.

Having served as producers on V for Vendetta, the Wachowskis will return to the directors chair for the first time since wrapping the Matrix trilogy in 2003. Among the Matrix alumni coming along for the ride are Oscar-winning vfx supervisor John Gaeta and exec producer Grant Hill.

Like Tatsuo Yoshida’s beloved cartoon creation, the live-action Speed Racer will focus on a young man’s efforts to drive his high-tech Mach 5 to victory over the mysterious Racer X. Considering the cartoon has been popular for generations and is still watched by kids, the film adaptation will reportedly be more family-friendly than the Wachowskis’ previous action flicks. Shooting is scheduled to begin in 2007.

If the project stays on track, Warner Bros., in association with Village Roadshow Pictures, will likely release Speed Racer in the summer of 2008.

Reader Comments

• Deli Heluna : Game Artist : Microsoft Games Studio

  Friday, November 03, 2006

  yeah, it'd have to be the Wachowski brothers to recreate Speed Racer and do it right. but seriously, another Car Racing movie?! and in PG. I don't think I'll bring my kids to watch it. I don't want them growing up thinking that Car Racing is cool. I want my children to think toward Alternative Planet-Saving modes of transportation. Non pollutive vehicles, etc.. Okay, I sound like a hippy New Ager or something but seriously, Global Warming is caused by automobile pollutants and the Speed Racer movie perpetuates such a mentality.
  
  Whatever happened to their other movie: "The Axis" or "DreamScapesAxis " I thought this was next ?
  http://www.dreamscapesaxis.com
  
  Deli Heluna
  
  
  
  Oh hahaha. very funny. Chim Chim in leather. Speed Racer doing kung fu. LOL. Yeah, what a waste of talent. Why Speed Racer ? what happened to their other movie, "The Axis" or was it " DreamScapesAxis"
  site located here:
  http://www.dreamscapesaxis.com
  
  I was counting on this movie to be developed after or even before "V for Vendetta" then they do a complete 180 and do "Speed Racer" of all movies.
  
  What a lame choice. Well, anyway, if anyone can recreate this movie and do it the right way, it'd be the Wachowski's. Can't wait to see what special effects they have planned for this.

• Brenda Cholanna : Customer Relations Manager : n/a

  Friday, November 17, 2006

  That movie is still in limbo according to this website - http://www.moviesonline.ca/movienews_10383.html

• Patrick Ohara : Web designer : Amazon

  Thursday, April 03, 2008

  Wachowskis are hyping this movie way too much. Speed Racer looks good but so did Revolutions and Reloaded and they were major disappointments.
  
  What is dream scape Axis movie ? is that WB\'s next SCI FI ? Sound awesome.