darkage365
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- Posted: Sat, 05 May 2007 19:28:35 +0000
Speed Racer is a 2008 live action film adaptation of the 1960s animated series Speed Racer. The film is to be directed by the Wachowski Brothers with Emile Hirsch as Speed and Christina Ricci as Speed's girlfriend, Trixie. Susan Sarandon and John Goodman also portray Speed's parents. Speed Racer has a release date set for May 9, 2008.
Verrry Creppy
Speed Racer "will follow the adventures of the young race car driver Speed 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 archrival, Racer X"
Development
In September 1992, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it held the option to create a live action film adaptation of Speed Racer, in development at Silver Pictures. In October 1994, singer Henry Rollins was offered the role of Racer X in the film. In June 1995, actor Johnny Depp was cast into the lead role for Speed Racer, with production slated to begin the coming October, with filming to take place in California and Arizona. The following August, Depp requested time off to the studio for personal business, delaying production. However, due to a high budget, the same August, director Julien Temple, who was attached to direct Speed Racer, left the project. Depp, without a director, also departed from the project. The studio considered director Gus Van Sant as a replacement for Temple, though it would not grant writing privileges to Sant. In December 1997, the studio briefly hired director Alfonso Cuarón for Speed Racer. In the various incarnations of the project, screenwriters Marc Levin, Jennifer Flackett, J. J. Abrams, and Patrick Read Johnson had been hired to write scripts.
In September 2000, Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Lauren Shuler Donner hired writer-director Hype Williams to take the helm of Speed Racer. In October 2001, the studio hired screenwriters Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring for $1.2 million split between them to write a script for the film. Eventually, without production going underway, the director and the writers left the project. In June 2004, actor Vince Vaughn spearheaded a revival of the project by presenting a take for the film that would develop the characters more strongly. Vaughn was cast as Racer X and was also attached to the project as an executive producer. With production never becoming active, Vaughn was eventually detached from the project.
Production
In October 2006, directors Larry and Andy Wachowski were brought on board by the studio to write and direct Speed Racer. Producer Joel Silver, who had collaborated with the Wachowskis for V for Vendetta and The Matrix series, explained that the brothers were hoping to reach a broader audience with a film that was not R-rated. Special effects supervisor John Gaeta, who won an Academy Award for Visual Effects for the Wachowskis' The Matrix, was hired to assist in making Speed Racer a live-action adaptation. Production was set to begin in summer 2007 in European locations for a summer 2008 release. In November 2006, the release date for Speed Racer was set for May 23, 2008. In December 2006, Silver shared a computer-generated possibility: "I don’t know if we’ll even use any cars." The producer also said that Speed Racer would be a family film in line with the Wachowskis' goal to reach a wider audience.
In February 2007, the Wachowski brothers selected Babelsberg Studios in Germany to film Speed Racer. In the following March, Warner Bros. moved the release date of Speed Racer two weeks earlier to May 9, 2008. In the same month, actor Emile Hirsch was cast as Speed. The following April, actors Susan Sarandon and John Goodman were cast as Speed's parents.Actress Christina Ricci was cast in the same month for the role of Speed's girlfriend, Trixie. Later in the month, Matthew Fox entered final negotiations to play Speed's rival, Racer X. Kick Gurry also entered negotiations to play Speed's mechanic, Sparky. Filming will commence on June 5, 2007 in Berlin. The Wachowskis will be filming in high-definition video for the first time.
In April 2007, Germany's new Federal Film Fund allocated a grant of $12.3 million to Warner Bros., the largest yet from the organization, for production of Speed Racer in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
Emile Hirsch as Speed.
Christina Ricci as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend.
John Goodman as Pops, Speed's father.
Susan Sarandon as Speed's mother.
Matthew Fox is in final negotiations to portray as Racer X, Speed's rival.
Kick Gurry is still in negotiations to portray Sparky, Speed's mechanic.
Verrry Creppy
Speed Racer "will follow the adventures of the young race car driver Speed 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 archrival, Racer X"
Development
In September 1992, Warner Bros. Pictures announced that it held the option to create a live action film adaptation of Speed Racer, in development at Silver Pictures. In October 1994, singer Henry Rollins was offered the role of Racer X in the film. In June 1995, actor Johnny Depp was cast into the lead role for Speed Racer, with production slated to begin the coming October, with filming to take place in California and Arizona. The following August, Depp requested time off to the studio for personal business, delaying production. However, due to a high budget, the same August, director Julien Temple, who was attached to direct Speed Racer, left the project. Depp, without a director, also departed from the project. The studio considered director Gus Van Sant as a replacement for Temple, though it would not grant writing privileges to Sant. In December 1997, the studio briefly hired director Alfonso Cuarón for Speed Racer. In the various incarnations of the project, screenwriters Marc Levin, Jennifer Flackett, J. J. Abrams, and Patrick Read Johnson had been hired to write scripts.
In September 2000, Warner Bros. Pictures and producer Lauren Shuler Donner hired writer-director Hype Williams to take the helm of Speed Racer. In October 2001, the studio hired screenwriters Christian Gudegast and Paul Scheuring for $1.2 million split between them to write a script for the film. Eventually, without production going underway, the director and the writers left the project. In June 2004, actor Vince Vaughn spearheaded a revival of the project by presenting a take for the film that would develop the characters more strongly. Vaughn was cast as Racer X and was also attached to the project as an executive producer. With production never becoming active, Vaughn was eventually detached from the project.
Production
In October 2006, directors Larry and Andy Wachowski were brought on board by the studio to write and direct Speed Racer. Producer Joel Silver, who had collaborated with the Wachowskis for V for Vendetta and The Matrix series, explained that the brothers were hoping to reach a broader audience with a film that was not R-rated. Special effects supervisor John Gaeta, who won an Academy Award for Visual Effects for the Wachowskis' The Matrix, was hired to assist in making Speed Racer a live-action adaptation. Production was set to begin in summer 2007 in European locations for a summer 2008 release. In November 2006, the release date for Speed Racer was set for May 23, 2008. In December 2006, Silver shared a computer-generated possibility: "I don’t know if we’ll even use any cars." The producer also said that Speed Racer would be a family film in line with the Wachowskis' goal to reach a wider audience.
In February 2007, the Wachowski brothers selected Babelsberg Studios in Germany to film Speed Racer. In the following March, Warner Bros. moved the release date of Speed Racer two weeks earlier to May 9, 2008. In the same month, actor Emile Hirsch was cast as Speed. The following April, actors Susan Sarandon and John Goodman were cast as Speed's parents.Actress Christina Ricci was cast in the same month for the role of Speed's girlfriend, Trixie. Later in the month, Matthew Fox entered final negotiations to play Speed's rival, Racer X. Kick Gurry also entered negotiations to play Speed's mechanic, Sparky. Filming will commence on June 5, 2007 in Berlin. The Wachowskis will be filming in high-definition video for the first time.
In April 2007, Germany's new Federal Film Fund allocated a grant of $12.3 million to Warner Bros., the largest yet from the organization, for production of Speed Racer in the Berlin-Brandenburg region.
Emile Hirsch as Speed.
Christina Ricci as Trixie, Speed's girlfriend.
John Goodman as Pops, Speed's father.
Susan Sarandon as Speed's mother.
Matthew Fox is in final negotiations to portray as Racer X, Speed's rival.
Kick Gurry is still in negotiations to portray Sparky, Speed's mechanic.