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The Speed Racer movie may have been released ahead of its time, as it developed a strong cult following in the years after its underwhelming release in theaters. At this point, star Emile Hirsch is saying that Speed Racer needs to be recognized as better than The Matrix.

On X, Hirsh shared a post commenting on the retroactive love that Speed Racer gets 16 years after its original release in 2008. The actor pointed to the sheer abundance of YouTube videos and online articles dedicated to praising the quality of Speed Racer. Clearly happy to see the movie continue to get recognition, Hirsch suggested that it should be held in higher esteem than Keanu Reeves' hit sci-fi action film.

Just look up "why Speed Racer is a masterpiece" on YouTube and there's like a thousand videos. A thousand articles written as well. Can we finally just declare that Speed Racer > The Matrix?...

An underrated anime adaptation and cult classic, the 2008 Speed Racer movie captures the essence of the source material. Despite being a box office flop, Speed Racer boasts thrilling action sequences, pitch-perfect campy humor, and spot-on casting. An ahead-of-its-time live-action anime adaptation, Speed Racer deserves a rewatch in the era of Netflix's One Piece.

Sixteen years after the release of the Wachowskis' Speed Racer zoomed into theaters, I'm still amazed by the anime adaptation's status as a severely underrated movie. Based on Tatsuo Yoshida's manga series of the same name, 2008's Speed Racer also takes cues from the hugely popular anime of the mid-60s. One of the first anime to become successful in the US, Speed Racer in all its iterations, including the Wachowskis' movie features a titular protagonist defined by his love of high-speed racing, his high-tech and high-speed Mach 5 car, and his family.

Best known for writing and directing The Matrix,...

Iconic anime and manga title and character Speed Racer -- the former also known by its original Japanese name, Mach GoGoGo -- is receiving a brand-new figure release from Funko, celebrating the legacy of main protagonist Go Mifune both in America and across the globe.

Via an exclusive press release, Funko celebrates its recent launch of its new limited-edition Jumbo Chan Funkos with an all-new Speed Racer Funko. Inspired by the series' main character, Go Mifune, the figure is equipped with his iconic helmet and costume, while taking clear cues from Japanese toys from the '70s and '80s in its design and packaging. Funko will host a raffle, opening on May 30 and closing on June 2, 2024, for which just 1,200 collectibles were made. Readers can head to the Eql site to enter the raffle. Winners can then purchase Speed Racer for $250, which comes with a certificate of authenticity.

Related Toho International...

Speed Racer star Emile Hirsch recently reflected on the 2008 sports movie becoming a cult classic years after it flopped at the global box office.

Looking back, Hirsch, who played the title character in Speed Racer, revealed to MovieWeb that he shouldn't have been surprised that the feature-length adaptation wasn't an immediate hit with audiences. "What's interesting about Speed Racer is that the trajectory that it took, weirdly, is similar to the cartoon," he shared. "The cartoon only had like two seasons, maybe three. And that's not very much for a huge children's show. These cartoons go forever. So it had kind of a relatively short run. But over the years, it just gained this cult following."

Related Official Pokmon Manga Goes on Hiatus Due to Artist Health Issues The official Pokmon manga is entering a month-long hiatus because of the artist's poor health, delaying the Pokmon Scarlet and Violet storyline.

Emile Hirsch praises Speed Racer for its unique visuals and editing techniques that were ahead of its time, and laments that the public didn't get it. The film, although initially criticized, has gained a cult following over the years for its artistic qualities. Hirsch believes audiences weren't ready for the Wachowski sisters' innovative approach to motion-capture and CGI in 2008.

Emile Hirsch is nothing if not prolific — the actor had two movies come out on March 15th, Prey and State of Consciousness, not to mention Walden four months ago. He's acted in films from some of the greatest directors working today, including Quentin Tarantino, Ang Lee, Oliver Stone, Gus Van Sant, Catherine Hardwicke, Sean Penn, David Gordon Green, and Peter Berg, not to mention the great William Friedkin. He also worked with the Wachowskis (The Matrix) on what is often considered their biggest flop, Speed Racer.

Made for $120 million and with marketing costing roughly $80 million,...

Some live-action anime adaptations fail to respect the source material, but the best ones stay true to the story, characters, and themes that fans love. Movies like 2008's Speed Racer and 2017's Bleach demonstrate respect for their anime counterparts, capturing the essence of the stories while making necessary changes. While live-action adaptations may not always replicate the anime exactly, films like 2017's Fullmetal Alchemist and Netflix's One Piece show that they can still capture the heart of the source material.

Live-action adaptations are often hit or miss, but their success typically comes down to whether they respect the source material. Like the best book adaptations, the best live-action anime adaptations tend to be the ones with a deep understanding of the story they're recreating. They often stick to the original story, and when they deviate, it's not at the expense of the characters, plot, or themes viewers know and love.

J.C.Staff founder Tomoyuki Miyata -- the anime studio behind popular works such as Revolutionary Girl Utena, Food Wars, Toradora and One-Punch Man Season 2 -- has gone into great depth about his career in anime production, revealing that the stress of it led to two-thirds of his stomach being removed.

In an interview with Animan, Miyata detailed his journey from his youth to current times, including his time as a producer at Tatsunoko Production before founding J.C.Staff. He revealed that with the death of Tatsunoko president Tatsuo Yoshida, and the departure of important director Hisayuki Toriumi, he became one of just a few employees holding the fort. The stress eventually caused several rather graphic illnesses, including stomach problems so extreme that two-thirds of it needed to be removed.

Related Solo Leveling Voice Actor Reportedly Coughs Up Blood in an Episode Recording The Japanese voice actor for Solo Leveling's Sung Jin-woo,...

In the decades since Japanese animation broke through to the mainstream of Western pop culture, Hollywood has been eager to mine it for precious content. It's not hard to see why. Anime has offered us some of the most fascinating, creatively striking, and challenging entertainment of the past fifty years. Consider the cyberpunk body horror ambitions of "Akira," the space Western melancholy of "Cowboy Bebop," or the astonishing achievements of Studio Ghibli. Anime has exploded in popularity in recent years, in large part thanks to greater accessibility to the material via streaming platforms like Crunchyroll. One such series that has broken through in a major way is "One Piece," a comedy-action saga about warring bands of pirates that is almost as beloved in America as it is in Japan. 

Netflix is bringing its live-action English-language adaptation of Eiichiro Oda's work, which is the best-selling manga in history and has...

Apple TV+ has released the much-anticipated trailer for Strange Planet, the upcoming adult animated series based on Nathan W. Pyle's New York Times bestselling graphic novel and viral webcomic of the same name.

With a voiceover that questions the very nature of existence, the trailer posted on Apple TV+ YouTube channel takes viewers on a captivating journey to a whimsical world where blue beings live lives filled with adventure, love, and friendship. "What if our world wasn't the only one where existence is absurd," says the voice. The creators went far and beyond to authentically recreate the original comic's world, infusing the show with a quirky aesthetic of cotton candy pinks and purples, making the blue beings' adventures even more enchanting. Apple Studios and ShadowMachine produce the adult animated series, premiering ten episodes with new episodes released weekly.

Related: Foundation: Jared Harris Brings a New Twist to Apple TV+'s Hit Sci-Fi Series

Dan Harmon,...

The long-running manga and anime series One Piece has been adapted into live-action and will stream on Netflix on Aug. 31, 2023. But given the streamer's past failures with their live-action adaptations of anime like the short-lived Cowboy Bebop series and the Death Note movie, many are now fearing One Piece will end up a similar failure. Live-action re-imaginings of anime don't exactly have the best track record of living up to fan expectations and paying respect to their source material. Ironically, Speed Racer (aka Mach GoGoGo in Japan) seems to be one of the very rare exceptions.

While the Wachowskis' film adaptation of the classic manga and anime franchise from 2008 was a box office disappointment, it has garnered an impressive cult following over the years. It is now considered by many fans to be the gold standard for live-action takes on anime. In the current age of live-action reboots of animated properties,...

A “Speed Racer” live-action series is in the works at Apple with J.J. Abrams onboard as an executive producer, Variety has learned.

Apple has given the project, which has been in the works for a considerable amount of time, a series order. Ron Fitzgerald and Hiram Martinez are attached to write and executive produce in addition to serving as co-showrunners. Abrams will executive produce under his Bad Robot banner. Warner Bros. Television is the studio, where Bad Robot is under an overall deal.

“Speed Racer” follows the adventure of auto racer Speed Racer and his souped up car, the Mach 5. His team consists of his father and car builder Pops Racer, his little brother Spritle and his pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim, and Speed’s girlfriend Trixie. Speed also frequently crosses paths with the mysterious Racer X, who is secretly Speed’s older brother Rex Racer.

This would be the second live-action...

Apple TV+ is prepping Speed Racer, a high-profile live-action series from J.J. Abrams’ Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television where the company is under a deal.

Details are sketchy but I hear the project, written by Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer) and Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld), is going back to the original source material and is a live-action take on the classic 1960s manga series.

2022 Apple TV+ Pilots & Series Orders

I hear the series is now staffing a writers room, with Martinez and Fitzgerald as executive producers/co-showrunners.

Speed Racer, a Japanese media franchise about automobile racing, first launched as a manga series titled Mach GoGoGo by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1966. Trans-Lux acquired syndication rights and Speed Racer was adapted into anime by Tatsunoko Productions, which aired on Japan’s Fuji TV from 1967-68 and aired in the U.S. in syndication at about the same time.

The show’s mainstream success in the U.

Christina Ricci is set to be in Lana Wachowski’s upcoming The Matrix 4.

In an updated press kit from Warner Bros., Ricci’s name was quietly added to the star-studded cast list. Keanu Reeves, Carrie-Anne Moss, Yahya Abdul-Mateen II, Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Jonathan Groff, Neil Patrick Harris, Jessica Henwick, Christina Ricci, Telma Hopkins, Eréndira Ibarra, Toby Onwumere, Max Riemelt, Brian J. Smith, and Jada Pinkett Smith round out the cast.

Ricci has previously worked with Lana in 2008 on the Wachowski’s Speed Racer. The movie was based on the novel of the same name by author Tatsuo Yoshida. The futuristic sports action comedy film also featured Emile Hirsch, John Goodman and Susan Sarandon.

The fourth Matrix is scheduled to premiere in theaters Wednesday, Dec. 22, 2021, instead of April 1, 2022.

The Matrix 4 is written by Lana Wachowski, David Mitchell and Aleksander Hemon based on characters created by The Wachowskis. Lana Wachowski, Grant Hill...

Today at Comic-Con, Joe and Anthony Russo announced projects that their AGBO Studios are in development on: an adaptation of the 1978 Japanese anime series Battle of the Planets and an Amazon series based on the graphic novel Grimjack Comics.

Battle of the Planets was originally created by Tatsuo Yoshida and Tatsunoko Studios and was arguably the first mainstream glimpse for U.S. audiences into Japanese anime during the late 1970s. In addition, it was one of the few sci-fi cartoons during that era. The series follows five young orphans who are trained from a young age to form an elite, intergalactic team known as G-Force, swearing to protect Earth and its allies from otherworldly invading forces.

Grimjack Comics, is being developed at Amazon by Agbo, Halfire and it’s being written by Kevin Murphy the creator of Defiance, Heathers the Musical and Reefer Madness. The Grimjack Comics graphic novel...

Created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally released in 1972 under the name Kagaku Ninja Tai Gatchaman, the series later debuted with an English dub as Battle of the Planets (and unofficially called G-Force). It was followed by an animated film and two short-running sequel series in 1978 and 1979. The series centered around five young superhero ninja in the employ of Dr. Kōzaburō Nambu of the fictitious International Science Organization to oppose an international terrorist organization of technologically advanced villains, known as Galactor, from trying to take control of the Earth's natural resources. The Gatchaman team employed a unique style of highly violent and effective martial arts, developed by Dr. Nambu, that drew from their physical abilities to enable them to perform...

The full Fantasia 2013 lineup has now been revealed, and we have here the third and final wave of titles to share. Prepare to drool!

From the Press Release:

The Fantasia International Film Festival is proud to announce the rest of our 120-feature lineup that comprises our 2013 event, along with a string of additional details that mark our 17th edition as a standout. Fantasia will engulf the city of Montreal from July 18-August 6, 2013. Be sure to visit the Fantasia Film Festival website for detailed essays on every title announced here, as well as all films previously disclosed over the last weeks.

Before we get started on titles... Meet Our 2013 Juries

Main Competition For The Cheval Noir Award For Best Film

Jury President: Laura Kern (Critic, Curator, managing editor, Film Comment)

Jean-Pierre Bergeron (Actor, Director, Screenwriter)

Samuel Jamier (Co-Director of the New York Asian Film Festival, Programmer at Japan Society)

Jarod Neece (Senior Programmer and Operations Manager,...

Five highly-trained agents are all that stand in the way of a dangerous terrorist group in the first trailer for Gatchaman. Based on the popular animated series created by Tatsuo Yoshida (which was known as Battle of the Planets in the United States), this live-action adaptation follows five agents of the International Science Organizaition, who try to stop a terrorist group dubbed Galactor from destroying the world. The film, directed by Toya Sato, is slated for an August 23 release in Japan, although we have no word on when to expect a domestic release. In the meantime, check out the first footage starring T&#244ri Matsuzaka, Ryohei Suzuki, G&#244 Ayano, Ayame G&#244riki, and Tatsuomi Hamada.

Gatchaman International Trailer

Set in the near future, Gatchaman follows the story five special agents of the International Science Organization in Tokyo as they try to protect the world from the mysterious terrorist group who call themselves Galactor.

Scheduled for theatrical release in Japan on August 24th, Gatchaman is directed by Toya Sato (Grave of the Fireflies, Gokusen) and written by Yusuke Watanabe (Dragon Ball Z: Battle of Gods), and based on the popular anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida. Set in the near future, Gatchaman follows the story five special agents of the International Science Organization in Tokyo, as they try to protect the world from the mysterious terrorist group who call themselves Galactor. With technology far surpasses that of humans, Galactor has declared war on the entire world and has already subjugated half of it. Trained to draw out the power from the mysterious crystal-like object called a "stone," our five heroes will be called "Gatchaman." Originally released in 1972 under the name Kagaku...

Overlooked and Underrated Week begins at Trailers from Hell with screenwriter Josh Olson introducing the Wachowskis' $120 million live-action version of Tatsuo Yoshida's 52-episode anime series, "Speed Racer," a major critical and commercial flop.The film underwent 17 years of development, and involved such names as Julien Temple, Gus Van Sant,  Alfonso Cuaron, J.J. Abrams, Vince Vaughan, Johnny Depp and more. Shot largely against Greenscreen at Germany's Babelsberg Studios, the unnecessarily convoluted plot confused kids and bored adults, but its brilliantly realized cinematics are destined to be cited as a milestone in the advancement of filmic storytelling techniques.

Imagi Entertainment gave us Astro Boy last year, and it wasn't very well- received. That wasn't the worst of it for Imagi, however. Financial troubles loomed and in January of this past year, Imagi started cutting staff and shut down its Los Angeles office.

The arrival of this trailer for next year's Gatchaman indicates that the company must have found investors for the film, which Imagi wanted to make in 3-D. There was about $30 million left to raise, so we'll just assume that money turned up somewhere.

The movie is based on an animated TV show by Speed Racer creator Tatsuo Yoshida, and before we get to the trailer (which cuts off at the beginning), here's a synopsis from Imagi:...

September 7, 2008. That’s the day we posted a short teaser clip from Imagi’s animated Gatchaman movie. Since that time, images have been released, a longer teaser clip was shown at Anime Expo 2009, and then the bad news hit: Imagi Studios L.A. branch was getting shut down and no one knew if the Gatchaman movie would ever get released.

When we reported Imagi was getting shut down, I figured everything Gatchaman related was going to get buried with it. But that doesn’t seem to be the case, as an early teaser trailer has hit the net and you can check it out after the jump. Just know this isn’t a new trailer, as Twitch reports it fits the description of something shown at the Hk Filmart back in 2007

And if the teaser trailer isn’t enough…you can see some more pre-production concept art and storyboards by going here and here.

Imagi Studios has debuted a new teaser trailer for "Gatchaman" at the 2009 Anime Expo which took place at the Los Angeles Convention Center over the weekend, and a bootleg version of the teaser has been made available for viewing pleasure. Providing more sneak peek to the anime adaptation if compared to the previous clip, the teaser explains that the world is in chaos because of one alien evil, Galactor.

Amidst the chaos comes a lone warrior who is described to be Earth's last hope for survival. Together with a group of teenagers recruited to form a bird theme superhero ninja team, he fights the menace of the technologically advanced alien and denies him of his attempt to take control of the Earth's natural resources.

Based on the successful Japanese anime franchise created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1972, "Gatchaman" is directed by "Tmnt" helmer Kevin Munroe. It is still unclear who will...

A “Gatchaman” fan blog has leaked the first poster from the upcoming CGI-adaptation of the beloved Japanese anime franchise “Science Ninja Team Gatchaman”, which you can check out below. The poster features Joe Asakura, the ninja scientists’ team second-in-command. “Gatchaman” is about a future world plagued with both environmental as well as technology problems, and five reluctant heroes with a remarkable genetic makeup must become Earth’s defense against extraterrestrial invaders bent on conquest. Science Ninja Team Gatchaman is a superhero team which was created by Tatsuo Yoshida and originally produced in Japan, and later adapted into several English-language versions. The original series, produced in 1972, is most well-known in the [...]...

Year: 2009

DVD Release date: Unknown

Directors: Takashi Miike

Writers: Tatsuo Yoshida

IMDb: link

Trailer: link

Review by: Bob Doto

Rating: 8.5 out of 10

Manhattan is a city of numbered blocks divided into streets and avenues. Streets are short. They take one minute to traverse. Avenues are long. They take four minutes of "Are we still only at 6th?" to traverse. So, when I walked down 57th St. approaching the Director’s Guild Theater for the World Premiere of Takashi Miike’s much anticipated film Yatterman and came upon an entire avenue of people cued up, I was walking passed four minutes worth of people! That was an hour-and-half before the doors even opened. By the time 8pm rolled around there could’ve been ten minutes of people for all I knew. I didn’t know. I’m press, so, ‘scuse me, pardon me. I have a ticket. I go in first.

A ten-second clip of the upcoming CGI movie from Imagi Animation Studios, "Gatchaman", has been brought forward. Showing a car racing down a crowded street and making a sudden turn-over, the snippet exposes very little of the plot if none. Still, it presents fans and viewers the last part of the trailer.

Aside from the clip, several new images from this animation movie have been shared out through Imagi's official site. Six of the brand new photos revealing the visually artistic look into the movie are posted below.

Based on the successful Japanese anime franchise created by Tatsuo Yoshida in 1972, "Gatchaman" tells the story of five reluctant heroes, Ken, Joe, Jun, Jinpei and Ryu, who become Earth's only defendant from the Galactor terrorist group. The Warner Bros. animation originally set to be directed by "Tmnt" helmer Kevin Munroe is slated for 2009 release.

"Gatchaman" 10 Seconds Clip:...

TORONTO -- The Wachowski brothers and Warner Bros. Pictures, whose Matrix films and V for Vendetta had runs on Imax screens, are reteaming with the giant-screen exhibitor for Speed Racer.

Imax said Tuesday that a digitally remastered version of the live-action anime adaptation will be simultaneously released to Imax and conventional theaters on May 9.

Based on the Japanese series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, Speed Racer was written and directed by Andy and Larry Wachowski.

NEW YORK -- Licensing Show opens Tuesday amid concern that there are few, if any, major blockbusters slated for 2008 that can match the enormous merchandising success of this summer's megahits "Spider-Man 3", "Pirates of the Caribbean: At World's End" and "Shrek the Third" as well as the highly anticipated "Transformers".

But with CBS hosting its first booth ever at Licensing Show and increased primetime offerings from NBC and ABC, the major networks are making their strongest showing yet, with more opportunities for primetime licensing. Fox, which through 20th Century Fox Licensing and Merchandising has had a strong presence at the show for years with "The Simpsons", is back in full force as "The Simpsons Movie" opens in theaters in July.

"It's going to be very, very difficult across all product categories to match the (retail) numbers against this year," said Jonathan Samet, publisher of the Licensing Book and the Toy Book. "There are just not that many 'Spider-Mans' and 'Pirates' out there. A lot of the studios really just don't have anything new on the horizon from a merchandising standpoint. With the lineup that's coming out next year, I don't see anything that's going to match the merchandising numbers from this summer."

One sign of the less robust film merchandising slate for 2008 is the decline in studio ads in the Licensing Book, he said. "I don't have as much movie advertising in my publication. Our advertising is up, but it's not from the same big studios that used to take four, six and eight pages at a time because they don't have the properties to be promoting at this time."

Charles Riotto, president of LIMA, the licensing industry's worldwide trade organization and sponsor of the Licensing Show, said he was expecting 2007 to be "the biggest year ever for sales of entertainment-based licensing merchandise because of all the blockbuster movies we've had this year and all the ones that are still to come like 'Transformers, ' 'The Simpsons Movie, ' and 'Ratatouille.' I don't think we've ever had a year like this where we've had so many great movies with such significant licensing sales potential."

Riotto is also set to report at the show Tuesday that U.S. retail sales of licensed product were up 1.5% in 2006 to $108.7 billion, a slightly smaller increase than the 1.8% rise reported in 2005. Entertainment licensing fared better but still experienced a bigger percentage gain in 2005. U.S. retail sales of entertainment-based licensed product rose 2% in 2006 to $48.2 billion, up from $47.3 billion in 2005, when sales rose 2.4%.

Of all the major studio offerings, the two films drawing the most interest so far are both from Warner Bros. –- the Batman sequel "The Dark Knight" and "Speed Racer", a live-action movie based on the TV series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. The film, set for release in May, marks a reunion for directors Larry and Andy Wachowski and producer Joel Silver, who last worked together on the "Matrix" trilogy. But with the "Batman" sequel being described as a bit dark, there was concern it could limit sales among younger children who may not see the film. "The Incredible Hulk" from Marvel also is attracting some interest going into the show.

But for the most part retailers and licensees will be working very hard at the show this year to figure out the best bets for boxoffice and merchandising success in 2008. "I think retailers are going to be looking to figure out how to anniversary some pretty significant sales they had in 2007," said Vince Klaseus, senior vp franchise development and marketing at Disney Consumer Products.

Larry and Andy Wachowski have added another two passengers to their Speed Racer vehicle. Matthew Fox is in final negotiations to play Racer X in the live-action update of the 1960s cartoon for Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Joel Silver.

In addition, Aussie actor Kick Gurry is in negotiations to play Sparky, Speed's hippie mechanic.

Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman already are on board the film, which will shoot in the summer in Berlin. Speed centers on a young race car driver, Speed (Hirsch), and his quest for glory in his thundering, gadget-laden Mach 5. Fox will play Speed's mysterious racing rival, an enigmatic soldier of fortune.

The Lost star will fit Speed Racer in around the series' summer hiatus.

The Wachowskis are writing and directing, with the studio eyeing a summer 2008 bow.

The film, which is based on the anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida, will be a Warners presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures of a Silver Pictures production.

Christina Ricci is joining Larry and Andy Wachowski's live-action adaptation of the 1960s cartoon Speed Racer for Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Joel Silver.

Emile Hirsch, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman already have boarded the high-octane project, which is based on the anime series created by Tatsuo Yoshida for Japanese audiences and later imported to the U.S.

Speed centers on a young race car driver, Speed (Hirsch), and his quest for glory in his thundering, gadget-laden vehicle Mach 5. Ricci will star as Speed's girlfriend Trixie, his formidable ally on and off the track.

The show revolved around Speed's family. In the big-screen adaptation, Goodman will play Pops, a race car owner and builder. Sarandon is on board as Pops' wife, the backbone of the family as well as the Mach 5 Go Racing Team.

The Wachowskis, who are writing and directing, are eyeing a summer shoot in Berlin with a summer 2008 release.

The film will be a Warners presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures of a Silver Pictures production.

Susan Sarandon and John Goodman are in negotiations to play the parents of Emile Hirsch in Speed Racer, the live-action version of the anime cartoon being directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski.

Based on the classic 1960s series that was created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida and retooled for North American audiences, Speed follows the adventures of young race car driver, Speed (Hirsch), and his quest for glory in his thundering, gadget-laden vehicle Mach 5.

The show revolved around Speed's family, and the Wachowskis are being selective about who they pick for those roles. Goodman is playing Pops, a race car owner and builder. Sarandon's character is the backbone of the family as well as the Mach 5 Go Racing Team.

Casting is under way for the characters of Speed's girlfriend, Trixie, and his mysterious archrival, Racer X.

The plan is for the Wachowskis, who are writing and directing, to shoot in Germany in the summer for a summer 2008 release.

Emile Hirsch is in talks to star in Speed Racer, the live-action version of the anime cartoon being directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski.

Based on the classic 1960s series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida that was retooled for North American audiences, Speed Racer follows the adventures of young race car driver Speed (Hirsch) in his quest for glory in his thundering gadget-laden vehicle, Mach 5. The movie will feature other characters from the show, including Speed's family and his mysterious arch-rival, Racer X.

The plan is for the Wachowskis to shoot in Germany in the summer for a summer 2008 release.

Hirsch most recently starred in Alpha Dog and next appears in Sean Penn's Into the Wild, which Paramount Vantage is distributing in the fall. Other credits include Lord of Dogtown and The Girl Next Door.

Joel Silver is producing the film, which the Wachowskis are writing as well as directing. Speed will be a Warner Bros. Pictures presentation in association with Village Roadshow Pictures of a Silver Pictures production.