Speed Racer - The Movie: January 2008

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

LEGO and Speed Racer Team Up

Starting in April, LEGO will roll out 4 new playsets based on Speed Racer. This comes after a fruitful week of seeking promotions by producer Joel Silver. Normally the producer of more adult and R-rated features, Silver has recently secured promotion deals with big family names including:

General Mills - who will use Speed Racer on packaging of its cereals and other brands like Betty Crocker cookie mixes, Old El Paso Mexican foods and Fruit Gushers
Lego - who will be creating the four playsets mentioned
Target - which rarely does film promotions, coming aboard as the film's official retail partner and, in addition to in-store ads and circulars, offering a gift card that enables consumers to access exclusive footage from the film
Puma - will be designing Speed Racer-themed shoes
McDonald's - the highly coveted Happy Meal deal (source)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

New Rival Race Car Revealed for Speed Racer Film

One of the rival cars from Speed Racer is heating up the auto shows. In the film, Speed will actually be racing against this team, called the Autobacs Racing Team Aguri (aka ARTA), and their futuristic car modeled somewhat after ARTA's Super GT 300 car.

First Look: Speed Racer's Rival Race Car Revealed >

Wednesday, January 9, 2008

Download Speed Racer Movie Trailer

Apple's Quicktime has the Speed Racer trailer online and the official Speed Racer movie site has a download option.

You can download free the Speed Racer Movie trailer at the official Speed website. It has the HD options to view or download. Speed Racer stars Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, and Matthew Fox. The movie hits theaters on May 9th, 2008.

Go to Detroit Speed Racer, Go!

The Mach 5

The Mach 5, the supercar from Speed Racer that has leaped from 1970s Japanese cartoons to the big screen via Warner Brothers in 2008 will zoom into the North American International Auto Show in Detroit Jan 19-21.

Go to Detroit Speed Racer, Go! >

Friday, January 4, 2008

Matthew Fox on Playing Racer X

Matthew Fox told Entertainment Weekly that, while he didn't know anything about Speed Racer (he grew up without a TV!), he's a big cartoon, comic book and anime fan.

"So when I found out that the Wachowski's were doing 'Speed Racer' and were interested in me for it, I immediately went on the Internet, and as soon as I saw Racer X, I was like, I think that looks like me. I kinda think I would be a good Racer X. [Laughs] So then I was like, Dammit, I'm going to win this role! I went and read for it, and then waited quite a while."

Fox added that "Racer X is all about mystery. And it's all about not just disguise of suit, but it's disguise of voice — he's, like, impenetrable." (source)

Plot of Speed Racer

From writer/directors Larry and Andy Wachowski, the creators of the groundbreaking “The Matrix” trilogy, and producer Joel Silver comes the live-action, high-octane family adventure “Speed Racer.”

The famous cartoon goes live action as Speed and his friends and family face off against the biggest race of Speed's career.

Action. Born to race cars, Speed Racer (Emile Hirsch) is aggressive, instinctive and, most of all, fearless. His only real competition is the memory of the brother he idolized-the legendary Rex Racer, whose death in a race has left behind a legacy that Speed is driven to fulfill. Speed is loyal to the family racing business, led by his father, Pops Racer (John Goodman), the designer of Speed’s thundering Mach 5. When Speed turns down a lucrative and tempting offer from Royalton Industries, he not only infuriates the company’s maniacal owner (Roger Allam) but uncovers a terrible secret-some of the biggest races are being fixed by a handful of ruthless moguls who manipulate the top drivers to boost profits.

If Speed won’t drive for Royalton, Royalton will see to it that the Mach 5 never crosses another finish line. The only way for Speed to save his family’s business and the sport he loves is to beat Royalton at his own game. With the support of his family and his loyal girlfriend, Trixie (Christina Ricci), Speed teams with his one-time rival-the mysterious Racer X (Matthew Fox)-to win the race that had taken his brother’s life: the death-defying, cross-country rally known as The Crucible.