Speed Racer
Interview with Joel Silver and Emile Hirsch
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Pedigree: The Wachowski brothers + Joel Silver + Emile Hirsch. Estimated budget: $100 million. Predicted box office: $170 million (US gross), $400 million (worldwide).
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It has taken uber-producer Joel Silver more than a decade to bring Speed Racer to the big screen, and by re-uniting with the Wachowski brothers he hopes the film will set a new benchmark for visual effects.
"When the brothers first showed the pre-viz to the studio, everyone was blown away," beams Silver, speaking on the Berlin set. "Whatever phrase you want to use - pushing the envelope, setting new standards - I think they're evolving a new way of picture-making. We've come a long way since bullet-time..."
The film is an adaptation of Mach, Go, Go, Go, the manga featuring a young race-car driver that aired on TV as a series in 1967. It played in the US as Speed Racer, and the Wachowskis' movie is a live-action version, with Into The Wild's Emile Hirsch starring.
"Even though we've finished all our work, I know the brothers have a massive amount of post-production on this," explains Hirsch. "It will look amazing, like nothing else we've seen."
Intriguingly, it also marks the Wachowskis' first stab at a family movie.
"Honestly, the Wachowskis were inspired to make this film after watching the Ice Age films," chuckles Silver. "I know that sounds a little crazy, but really they thought those were wonderful family films and they decided they'd like to make something that wasn't R-rated. We're really very excited about what this film will be. We think audiences will feel the same way."
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