‘Speed Racer’ Live-Action Series in the Works at Apple TV Plus
Apple is developing a live-action series based on the iconic manga and animated show “Speed Racer.”JJ Abrams, according to The Hollywood Reporter, will serve as an executive producer on the production. The show is written by Hiram Martinez and Ron Fitzgerald, who will also act as co-showrunners, though information on the project is limited at the moment. Under his Bad Robot label, Abrams will executive produce. The studio with which Bad Robot has an overall deal is Warner Bros.
Speed Racer – The Iconic Anime: A Brief History
Tatsuo Yoshida first released “Speed Racer” in 1966 as a manga series called “Mach GoGoGo.” Tatsuo Yoshida’s Speed Racer was made into a popular animation series in the 1960s that lasted more than 50 episodes. Speed Racer X, an English remake, was made for Nickelodeon in 2002, but its run was cut short due to a licence dispute.
Following a series of disputes, the worldwide rights to the beloved title about a professional racer were returned to Tatsunoko Production in December 2013. Tatsunoko is said to have agreed to Apple’s version of the beloved manga.
The plot revolves around Gō Mifune and his modified automobile, the Mach 5.
Pops Racer, his father and Spritle his little brother, and his pet chimp Chim-Chim, as well as Speed’s girl Trixie, make up his squad. Speed also has a lot of encounters with Racer X, who is secretly Speed’s older brother Rex Racer.
J.J. Abrams Leads The Second Live Action Speed Racer Adaptation
The live-action series would be the second based on the iconic Japanese character. Emile Hirsch played the titular role in a 2008 film written and directed by Lily and Lana Wachowski. The film was a box office disaster that earned generally poor reviews from reviewers.
As part of his $250 million overall contract with Warner Bros., Abrams has a slew of projects in the works including Speed Racer. He’s also working on Presumed Innocent for Apple, the same label that released Lisey’s Story and Little Voice, both of which came from the studio he’s worked in for the previous 15 years.
