Joel Silver previously worked with the Wachowskis on the “Matrix” trilogy and “V for Vendetta.” He is again producing through his company Silver Pictures.
Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is a born racing driver. He tears around the track at breakneck speed, passes his rivals and leaves them in his dust. Aggressive and fearless, he trusts his instincts above all. There is only one driver against whom he measures himself: his legendary brother Rex Racer, who died behind the wheel and whose legacy remains Speed’s benchmark.
Speed remains loyal to the racing team run as a family business by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), who designed the Mach 5 for him.
When Speed rejects a lucrative offer from Royalton Industries, he angers the company’s volatile chief executive (Roger Allam) and discovers a spectacular secret: the outcomes of the most important races are fixed in advance by a handful of ruthless industrialists. Leading drivers follow their orders to maximize profits. If Speed refuses to join Royalton, the company will make sure the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line.
Speed can save the family business only by fighting Royalton on its own terms. Backed by his family and his girlfriend Trixie (Christina Ricci), he joins forces with his former rival, the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox), to win the race in which his brother died: the grueling cross-country Crucible rally.
The cast includes Emile Hirsch (“Alpha Dog”) as Speed, Christina Ricci (“Black Snake Moan”) as Trixie, Matthew Fox (the television series “Lost”) as Racer X, and Academy Award winner Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking”) and John Goodman (“Evan Almighty”) as Mom and Pops Racer.
The live-action “Speed Racer” is based on the classic series by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida. As in the Wachowskis’ previous films, the production features visual effects and narrative concepts associated with the filmmakers.
A comprehensive Production Spotlight will appear in issue 03/08, published on 25 April.