He’s a demon on wheels, and he’s coming to Apple TV+. That’s right, the streaming service has officially ordered a live-action reboot of the beloved racing anime. According to Deadline, the series will be produced by Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Television.
Right now the details aren’t very clear, but supposedly the project will be written by Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer) and Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld). The two are also set to be executive producers/co-showrunners. The series is also in the process of filling a writers' room. The aim is to do a fresh, live-action adaptation of the classic 1960’s manga series.
Speed Racer was created as Mach GoGoGo, a manga series by Tatsuo Yoshida, and premiered in 1966. The manga’s success gave birth to an anime adaptation which ran for 52 episodes, which only made the franchise grow in popularity. The anime premiered on American television in 1967 and was renamed to the show we know and love today. During the dubbing process, the characters were given their signature names Speed, Trixie, Spritle, Chim-Chim, and Racer X. The major editing and dubbing efforts were done by producer Peter Fernandez, who also wrote the English dub and provided the voices for Speed, Racer X, and many others. Crunchyroll Dubs (formerly Funimation) describes the original show below.
Speed Racer is an 18-year-old boy who dreams of driving his car, the incredible Mach 5, in professional races around the world. When the going gets tough and meddling crooks keep him from the finish line, he always finds a way to make it through. Join Trixie, Pops, Spritle, Chim Chim, and the whole gang as they root for Speed in the most nail-biting, death-defying races in history!
Go Speed Racer Go!
Speed Racer had a long-lasting impression since its initial debut and has had several reboots and spinoffs since then. From comics to toys, there has always been a bit of the plucky racer. 1993 brought audiences The New Adventures of Speed Racer, a reboot that was entirely produced in America. The show took the franchise in a slightly different direction, but only lasted 13 episodes overall. In 2008, the Nicktoons channel introduced Speed Racer: The Next Generation, which was considered a sequel series. Peter Fernandez was brought back to voice an older Spritle who trains a new generation of racers.
In 2008, the Wachowskis brought Speed Racer into the third dimension, in more ways than one. The result was a live action film adaptation that audiences were split on. Some considered the movie as faithful of an adaptation as possible, others called the visuals headache-inducing. The film was considered a box office flop, earning back a small $94 million compared to its $120 million. But as time sped by, the movie has gained a strong cult following.
There’s a high chance that this new Speed Racer won’t have any connection to the film, which could be considered both a good thing or a bad thing depending on how you look at it. The film took full advantage of the anime-inspired cuts and track design, which was one of the reasons it became so beloved. And as special effects have grown significantly since 2008, they’ll probably look better than ever, even on a show budget. We’ll have to wait and see what this new team will have in store for Speed Racer fans!