Wachowski Siblings Sign on for Speed Racer?

The Hollywood rumor mill is at it once again. This time the whispers are in regards to a live action remake of the Japanese manga and anime classic, Speed Racer. It's the story of a young race car driver, his family, and the remarkable Mach 5 super car. Originaly released in Japan under the title Mach Go Go Go, Speed racer achieved seminal success here in America. It was the first anime to really catch on with American audiences and started an interest in Japnese animation that has swept the country ever since.

For quite some time now, remake fever has been a standing tradition in Hollywood. Two years ago actor Vince Vaughn sold a script to Warner Brothers for a Speed Racer remake. Vaughn was looking to play Speed Racer's mysterious anti-hero Racer X. That is the last we heard of Speed Racer until just recently. Now IGN is reporting that Andy and Larry Wachowski are looking to write and direct their own version of Speed Racer for the silver screen. No one is officially confirming or denying anything yet, but that is usually a good sign in pre-deal tight lipped Hollywood.

The Wachowskis have stayed relatively under the radar in the years after the Matrix Trilogy. With the exception of their recent film V for Vendetta. Although Vendetta strayed from Alan Moore's brilliant anarchist comic book work, the film was excellent none the less. If it turns out to be true that Andy and Larry are indeed taking over the controls of the Mach 5, I look forward to their take on it. It is unknown whether or not Vince Vaughn will continue to play a role in Speed Racer's development. But perhaps it's fate that the Wachowskis end up making Speed Racer. It is after all the anime that first brought us bullet time. Check out the opening sequence at the very end to see for yourself. [thanks to The Mad Elf]


"The Mach Five is the most complex and ingenious car ever built; a tribute to my father's imagination, genius and technical skills!" - Speed Racer