Joel Silver, Emile Hirsch drive 'Speed Racer' life

BY ANGELA DAWSON | Entertainment News Wire

May 8, 2008

HOLLYWOOD - In the 1960s, the cartoon "Speed Racer," featuring a teenage driver who lives to race cars, introduced many Americans to Japanese-style animation. Among the fans of the TV series were brothers Andy and Larry Wachowski, who later became the filmmakers behind the groundbreaking "Matrix" trilogy.

Now, the Wachowskis are bringing "Speed Racer" to the big screen in collaboration with producer Joel Silver. The movie opens tomorrow.

"They wanted to do something for their nieces, nephews, friends and family," says Silver, who bought the rights to "Speed Racer" nearly 20 years ago.

"Speed Racer" had a few false starts over the years before the Wachowskis came along and made their pitch to Silver. Their five-minute film clip demonstrated how they would shoot some of the racing scenes. The simple but imaginative presentation sold Silver and the executives at Warner Bros.

Appealing to all ages

Blending live-action and state-of-the-art special effects, the filmmakers set out to make a movie that would appeal to audiences of all ages. "Speed Racer" boasts eye-popping colors and fast-paced racing sequences using never-before-seen camera trickery. And beneath it all is a story about family, loyalty and the spirit of competition.

All the main characters from the TV series are in it: Speed Racer, Mom and Pops Racer, Trixie, Sparky, Spritle, Chim-Chim and, of course, Racer X.

The Wachowskis cast actor Emile Hirsch, fresh from his breakout role in the Sean Penn drama "Into the Wild," as Speed Racer, who is determined to become the world's Grand Prix racing champion behind the wheel of his beloved Mach 5.

Hirsch was eager to work with the Wachowskis. "I was a huge fan of 'The Matrix' when I was 13," he says, "and getting a chance to work with the guys who made it was a dream come true."

The high-octane adventure also stars Susan Sarandon, John Goodman, Christina Ricci and Matthew Fox ("Lost") as the mysterious masked driver Racer X.

"That really hit a chord with me, because I have kids and haven't really done anything before that I would feel comfortable with them watching," Fox says.

After meeting with the Wachowskis and reading the script, he knew "Speed Racer" was the only movie he wanted to make during his hiatus from "Lost."

Ricci, who'd never watched the TV series, was familiar with "Speed Racer" through the retro paraphernalia favored by young hipsters as well as a 2005 commercial that featured images from the show. Like her cast mates, the draw for Ricci was working with the Wachowskis.

"People had mentioned to me, 'Oh, you'd be a good Trixie,'" recalls the actress, who sports a short black bob in the movie as Speed's supportive girlfriend. She wasn't crazy about the hairstyle, but she liked Trixie's feminine and self-reliant qualities.

"She's as girlie as she wants to be, but then she does everything the boys do, and there's no commentary on it," Ricci observes.

Oscar winner Sarandon ("Dead Man Walking") says her youngest son was tickled at the thought of his mom playing Mom Racer. Renowned for her dramatic roles, Sarandon was intrigued with the idea of working with the groundbreaking filmmakers.

"They told me all the stuff they planned to do in the movie, and I said, 'I don't even understand what you're talking about, but I'll do it,'" she recalls with a laugh. "If you're going to do a big film, these are the guys to do it with."

Putting aside uncertainties

Goodman, who plays Pops, says working against a special-effects "green screen" for much of the movie reminded him a lot of his early days in low-budget theater. "There are few if any props there, so you concentrate more on the person you are working with," he says.

The actors put their trust in the Wachowskis and put aside any uncertainties about how the final film would look.

"They are very specific and they know exactly what they want," says Goodman, who compares the Wachowskis' work ethic to that of the Coen brothers, with whom he's worked on several occasions.

Night racing

"Speed Racer" closed the TriBeCa Film festival Saturday night and officially opens wide tomorrow. However, some theaters may be scheduling midnight showings tonight. Starting tomorrow, the film will also be shown in the IMAX format at the Leroy R. & Rose W. Grumman IMAX Dome Theater at the Cradle of Aviation Museum in Garden City.