Logo

Cool News

Updated! We Know Who's Shooting SPEED RACER!!

Published at:  Mar 05, 2007 4:53:22 AM CST

Hey, everyone. ”Moriarty” here.

Since I posted this story, I got a tip from "M For Monkey," a primate in a position to know what's what. Seems that David Tattersall is going to be the cinematographer on SPEED RACER.

Seems to completely support the way of thinking that was implied by the story below, which was a tip about someone who wasn't doing the film.

I know that sounds weird, but take a look... you'll see what I mean.

And thanks, "M".








******

Reeeeeeeally?

If this is true, it starts to make sense of what attracts the Wachowskis to SPEED RACER, a project I consider just a wee bit batshit. I mean, I know people enjoyed the cartoon. Hell, I watched it every morning before school when I was six. But as a giant-budget feature film?

As long as they cast one of the Olsen Twins as Chim-Chim, I’m in.

But this rumor is a fascinating one. Check it out:



Hi Harry,

Just a little bit of info you may or may not want to put on the site:

A friend of mine was at a seminar with DoP John Mathieson (Gladiator, Matchstick Men, Kingdom of Heaven) where he mentioned he was approached by the Wachowski Brothers to work on their latest project (Speed Racer?). Mathieson declined as the project would be largely/entirely green screen, and he has reported to have said he would rather make a Kylie Minogue video than shoot something entirely green screen.

Interesting because; A, it adds to rumors that Speed Racer is going to be intensely CGI (Larry and Andy have probably had enough of shooting real cars after The Matrix Reloaded). And B, it sees the brothers are moving away from using long time collaborator Bill Pope as DoP.

If you use this call me RFC.

Cheers.



    + Expand All

    Readers Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:23:57 PM CST

    Wait a minute here...

    by animus

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:25:04 PM CST

    Speed Racer = New Sky Captain?

    by tile_mcgillus

    I might be one of the few people that love sky captain and am excited at the prospect of this...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:25:05 PM CST

    Maybe they can get George Lucas to help?

    by bronx cheer

    He's awesome.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:27:41 PM CST

    CGI at the service of a cartoon

    by bronx cheer

    CGI car. CGI chimp. CGI backgrounds. CGI races and stunts. CGI CGI CGI. Hell, they can avoid having a full-size car. They could just have the talent sit on green apple boxes making "vrooom" sounds. Should be swell!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:27:56 PM CST

    Is Speed Racer actually about anything?

    by superninja

    I mean, there is that Racer X subplot, but all I could gather is that it's like Scooby Doo and Speed would rather hang out with his car than Trixie. Or maybe it's a metaphor for life after all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:28:43 PM CST

    Animus

    by bronx cheer

    SHUT UP. We could drop the "IM" from your name and you would be called "ANUS." How fitting.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:29:31 PM CST

    ironically

    by badmrwonka

    Kylie minogues had an all green screen video for "love at first sight"...(it's not my fault, I was living in europe, she was EVERYWHERE!!)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:29:40 PM CST

    ironically

    by badmrwonka

    Kylie minogue had an all green screen video for "love at first sight"...(it's not my fault, I was living in europe, she was EVERYWHERE!!)

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:30:35 PM CST

    Speed Racer very Metaphysical

    by bronx cheer

    "Speed, you can choose to take the side streets, and you can go back to your normal life. But if you take the express way, then you can never go back." We find out that Pops' first name is actually Morpheus.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:33:52 PM CST

    Speed Racer = Jeff Gordon

    by darth fabulous

    Perfect casting even if he can't act.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:35:53 PM CST

    Flames on Nipples=Sexy Beanpole Optimus!

    by darth_nader

    Chim-chim gotta eat y'all.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:36:24 PM CST

    Haley Joel Osmet

    by bronx cheer

    Except didn't he get a DUI? Maybe he could get a designated driver.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:40:45 PM CST

    Check this quote from Joel Silver at Empire

    by bronx cheer

    "To get fanboys either scratching their heads or thumping their fists, Silver also offered the following tease: "I don't know if we'll even use any cars". Which could mean that we'll be seeing another mighty CG leap from the brothers. Or that this Speed Racer will be riding a tricycle. Which would be kinda awesome, in a really really slow Straight Story kinda way."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:42:25 PM CST

    Mel Gibson as Speed

    by zacdilone

    "I'm going to win this race fair and square, sugar tits."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:46:15 PM CST

    Mel Gibson = Speed Racist

    by bronx cheer

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:54:47 PM CST

    Why...

    by uncle clay

    can't Hollywood just leave my childhood alone, for Christ's sake? I mean, I have ENOUGH trouble remembering it; I don't need them constantly re-writing it for me...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 10:56:30 PM CST

    Because they are banking on you bringing

    by bronx cheer

    your kids. It's genius, really. Go for the nostalgia, and sucker them with the appeal to share their childhood with their kids.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:18:12 PM CST

    I would rather make a Kylie Minogue video than...

    by docbosch

    ...pretty much do anything. She's hot. She got cancer, though, poor girl. I'd still hit that though.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:33:59 PM CST

    Yeah its so expensive to film a car driving.

    by modlight

    I see why it'd be green screen. WTF.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:48:17 PM CST

    Johnny Quest....

    by quake ii

    Needs to be made into a feature film. And keep it in the 60's with the weapons, vehicles and tight fitting clothes. Speed Racer would be ok if done strictly for Gen X fans and not "modernized".

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:52:09 PM CST

    Hollywood CAN'T leave your childhood alone...

    by theghostwholurks

    Because all of the movers and shakers out there are YOUR age now, and since they have no imaginations themselves, they're forced to mine whatever "creative" ideas they can dredge up from their own pathetic pop-culture recollections of 1968-1985. Expect the Justice League movie to have Wendy, Marvin and Wonder-Dog in it, just 'cause some idiot remembers that they used to "hang" with Black Vulcan.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:52:34 PM CST

    Speed Racer = Piece of Shit?

    by starblitzer

    You heard it here first!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:53:41 PM CST

    While we're on the topic...

    by quake ii

    If I came into a pile of money, I would write and finance a GI Joe Adventure Team movie that fathers & sons would watch 20 times at the theater. It would be the and all be all adventure movie. Throw in a hot spy woman/love interest to get the ladies into the theater, but mostly have battles with giant cobras, sea creatures, mummies and a Yeti. All in 1 film.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 04, 2007 11:54:06 PM CST

    I would rather bang Kylie Minogue than...

    by darth fabulous

    ...watch the drivel this will ultimately turn out being. Right on Doc...I think she's cancer free now, plus I'm sure we would be better than that Robbie Williams douchebag.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 12:21:31 AM CST

    Chim Chim = Carlos Mencia

    by ironburl

    Speed Racer = Joe Rogan

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 12:23:15 AM CST

    just a wee batshit

    by oisin5199

    We are talking about the same pair whose one member left his wife, started dressing in drag and married a tranny dominatrix, right? I'd say the Wachowskis passed wee batshit quite some time ago.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 12:43:45 AM CST

    Relax Your Anus

    by godoffireinhell

    I want you all to relax your anus.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 12:52:49 AM CST

    Chim Chim = Andy Dick

    by darth fabulous

    Speed Racer = Dave Foley

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 1:34:48 AM CST

    Teh Fuck?

    by motoko kusanagi

    *anus relaxed*

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 1:40:37 AM CST

    a demon on wheels

    by iwontwin

    Rosie o donnell on a tricycle?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 1:43:44 AM CST

    Damn you Michael Bay

    by mcmlxxvi

    Damn you Michael Bay

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 2:33:52 AM CST

    I thought you said taking the freeway was Suicide!

    by uss cygnus

    No, only watching "Reloaded" and "Revolutions" back to back would accomplish that. Let us hope...that I was wrong. Tank, load the "Redo movies 2&3 of the trilogy" program."

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 3:35:52 AM CST

    Guess who got offered SPEED role

    by donmurphystool

    Shia LaBoeuf- no joke

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 3:57:59 AM CST

    Greenscreen = CGI = ......

    by ray gamma

    Greenscreen = CGI = Cecil B. Demille rolling in his grave.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 4:06:43 AM CST

    Syd Mead designed the cars. They were built years ago.

    by uncapie

    Originally, they were going to shoot it at Laguna Secca, but WB pulled the plug. Now, its going to be shot in Romania with CGI. Those cars exist, but where are they?

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 6:11:12 AM CST

    "passed wee batshit"

    by onomaki forp

    oisin, I don't think you meant it to sound that way...but boy is that sentence funny!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 6:35:51 AM CST

    It's "DP"

    by mister man

    Not DoP. People, PLEASE.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 7:13:08 AM CST

    Joel Silver once said Neo would clone himself...

    by ravetin

    In the Matrix sequels. Never fucking listen to him.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 7:45:14 AM CST

    I don't care who is going to shoot Speed Racer.

    by ingeld

    I just want to know who will be willing to shoot me if I get anywhere near this movie when it comes out.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 7:47:00 AM CST

    MisterMan

    by wackynephews

    Both are acceptable as terms for a cinematographer. DoP is a little more common amongst NA cinematographers and DP is used more with European cinematographers.

    Now go be a pretentious ass somewhere else...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 8:29:19 AM CST

    This project has been in the works for SO LONG

    by dasher

    So long, in fact, that I remember seeing a model of the new Mach 5 that was going to be used in this film. It was 12 years ago at the NYC Licensing Show. The car had a very hi-tech look - it was all sleek and silver, nothing like the cartoon version. Who knows if the Wachowskis will still use this design, but the studio probably has it if they want it.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 9:43:30 AM CST

    Bring on "Wacky Races" with Penelope Pitstop

    by doctor_sin

    Yeah - this will probably be a fun ride (no pun intended). But, all-cgi cars? Hey, I loved Sky Captain, so I'll wait and see.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:06:34 AM CST

    Someone should SHOOT Joel Silver

    by frank duckett

    with a potato gun. in the bum-beree.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:08:23 AM CST

    Relax, there will still be real cars!

    by johnno

    But of course they'll have to use extensive CGI to make all that crazy shit happen in races... Knowing them there's no way they'll be able to pull this all off all physically... You want them to build another highway just for that??? And yeah a lot of those vehicles in Reloaded were CGI... mostly the parts where Trinity is driving against traffic on her motorcyce, which is why the camera suddenly went under the truck to show you, "Hey! betcha you thought that was real didn'tcha?" Shit even the guy sitting beside me at the theatre exclaimed, "Holy shit, and this was all done for real!" They were trying to screw around with the audience to see what aprts they'll recognize to be CGI and what parts aren't. I bet there are shots in the film of Hugo and Keanua that are jsut teh digital doubles. Hell, there's even a pic on the official site that's just the two of them standing still labelled VFX shot. And lastly, fuck all haters of the Matrix Sequels! And I can't wait to see some crazy shit in this movie, hope there's plenty of bullet time because we can't get enough of that :P

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:14:08 AM CST

    Speed! Ah!

    by saluki

    There are so many ways this movie could play out, but a family movie from the Bros. W? I'd buy that for dollar! Iron Man? Narnia? Indy? No, the real visceral attraction of May '08 is going to be a demon on wheels! Oh, and actors and cinematographers refusing to shoot on green screen can go suck a fat one.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:14:12 AM CST

    THIS YEAR'S LITTLE MISS SUNSHINE IS RACER X!!!

    by err

    I hope they have the actor portray the characters in the horrible animated way. That would rule.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:47:43 AM CST

    Sure the DP is good,

    by purplemonkeydw

    but did you hear who they got for Best Boy??? damn, this site is getting detailed!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 11:53:50 AM CST

    HA HA HA HA

    by daddylonghead

    All CGI... I hope the whole movie will be as authentic and high-quality as that "Multiple Mr. Smiths" fight scene from the Matrix Reloaded. You know, where it looked like a 1998 video game cutscene for a while? 'Cause that was super!!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 12:12:45 PM CST

    SPEED RACER: NEXT YEAR'S "SKY CAPTAIN" + "GHOST RIDER"

    by daddylonghead

    except more ghey.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 2:06:35 PM CST

    The Trailer is on You Tube

    by rdwarer

    Hmmmmm...

    http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=iFNyNIHXo1A

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 2:09:59 PM CST

    Oops...

    by rdwarer

    http://tinyurl.com/yoczvz

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 2:32:15 PM CST

    This has been in production a long time

    by snookeroo

    About ten years ago I was doing some work with Warner Bros, and got to see some of their production work. At the time, they were well into producing Speed Racer, going so far as to cast Tom Cruise in the role. At the time, I didn't even know who "Speed Racer" was, but was blown away by the full-size clay model of the car they had in the works. I guess the whole project must have fallen apart, because I never heard anything else about it. Funny that it is surfacing now, so many years later.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 4:31:09 PM CST

    After the Wachowskis finish Speed Racer

    by dead.legend

    they ought to start working on that inevitable and much needed fourth and final Matrix movie. I hope I'm not the first to throw it out there, because it's probably gonna happen. Just pay attention to the damned story from Revolutions and you'll conclude that, like Tank stated in the original movie, "as long as the matrix exists, the human race will never be free". And guess what? It still exists in the end of the last movie. Forget all the "the matrix needs people and vice versa" shit. Neo will come back Jesus-style and wreak bad-ass havok on the machines single-handedly, revalations-style. Call it "The Matrix: Revalation". Or whatever. Sounds cooler than Speed Racer ever will be.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 4:50:31 PM CST

    That was really just Tank's take on it dead.legend

    by johnno

    Besides ask yourself, what is the Matrix? As Morpheus said, "Control." Human beings aren't free because they cannot make a choice as to which reality they prefer to live in. Some like Cypher prefer the Matrix, others prefer the real world. The whole issue was that there was never any choice and the Machines were the masters. By Revolutions end a common threath in Smith forced a truce between the machines and humans. And it ends with the humans being offered that choice of where they'd rather be. The truce would hold for as long as it can, because ultimately it's human frailty that can make or break it as the machines by nature will not go against their word. The final resolution of mankind and their place in the world is left up to the viewer... or the people who hopped onboard the Matrix Online and decide fate for themselves. Personally if there is going to be more Matrix, I'd prefer another cool Animatrix DVD with various other talented people's takes in the Matrix universe, or a full scale 2nd Renaissance film. But best animated as I doubt any live action attempt will be able to hold a candle to what Mahiro Maeda did. And to teh guy complaining about the Burly Brawl resembling a video game cutscene... well it was 100% CGI made to look at photoreal as possible... for those who criticize it, I dare you to show me where it's been done better.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 5:30:35 PM CST

    It's going to be like the chase in Matrix Reloaded

    by nopix

    They'be obviously latched onto whatever technology or ideas they had for that long sequence.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 6:25:24 PM CST

    I fucking hate Hollywood

    by cinematt

    And so, another beloved childhood memory gets the big screen anything for a fucking dollar treatment. This is going to be nothing like the cartoon series, so that's going to alienate the audience that grew up on it. The youth market of today neither know or care about Speed Racer, and they will probably stay away in droves, and this will bomb. First Underdog and now Speed Racer, both getting crapped on by Hollywood execs without a soul and not caring one damn bit about the people who made this a possible franchise to be made. So help me God, if anybody even dares to touch Jonny Quest, I will commit an act of suicide that will be so horrible and grotesque that it will make the lead story of every major news organization in the world. I fucking hate Hollywood...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 7:16:46 PM CST

    Hey WB

    by emeraldboy

    MAKE THE FUCKING JETSONS MOVIE! That has been at Warners for about the same time as the Wonder Woman movie. 2 decades. sheesh

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 7:19:50 PM CST

    There will never be a fourth Matrix movie

    by emeraldboy

    Ever. What happened to Neo. He just disappeared. Just like the plot up its own ass.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 8:54:33 PM CST

    You're probably right, cinematt...

    by son of batman

    after all, the Wachowskis have a habit of misadapting other people's works. V for Vendetta was completely different from the graphic novel and they totally misrepresented Plato's cave analogy in the Matrix. Oh, wait, no they don't and you're talkng out of your smelly ass. Toodles.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 8:56:31 PM CST

    Gweneth Paltrow=Penelope Pitstop

    by uss cygnus

  • Mar 05, 2007 9:02:26 PM CST

    Johnno: Where the "burly brawl" was done better?

    by daddylonghead

    "The Protector," in that preposterously long single take where Tony Jaa runs up the huge staircase, brutalizing a thousand bad guys in all kinds of improbable ways. You could never tell the whole thing was done with CGI...

    ...

    BECAUSE IT WASN'T, BECAUSE IT WAS SHOT BY A REAL FILMMAKER.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:01:48 PM CST

    This guy is a mediocre dp.

    by mr. brownstone

    At least judging by his work thus far. His work is flat and uninteresting. You'de think the bros would go with someone with a little more flair, but if the whole thing is green screen maybe they are planning on "lighting" it digitally and wanted someone with plenty of chroma kay experience or something.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:19:51 PM CST

    Gatchaman would be an absolute disaster live

    by superninja

    action, but man do I love those character designs!

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:22:37 PM CST

    Mmm...Race....

    by superninja

    I'd like a Johnny Quest movie if Hugh Jackman played Race.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 10:53:37 PM CST

    Ravetin

    by tenebre

    Actually, In one of the early Matrix 2 drafts Neo was fighting a clone of himself that was working for the matrix, not Smith. So..what he said was not too far off.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 05, 2007 11:06:46 PM CST

    Tony Jaa fought a thousand people who looked the same?

    by johnno

    All filling up the screen at once in a large open area and trying to jump his ass as a mob at the same time rather than 1x1 or 2? Where despite Tony Jaa's amazing ability could he defy gravity and pull off the impossible feats that Neo does? And does teh camera at any point become free to rotate around the action in a physically impossible manner to drive home the concept of virtual cinematography? Are you kidding me? Sure that was cool and all (personally I like the continuous hallway scene from Oldboy better and it didn't need any fancy martial arts), but it's nothing at all alike to the Matrix! Frankly a better comparison would be Kill Bill Vol 1's House of Blue Leaves fight, and even that doesn't feature the same level of complexity or free range camera movement. When you find a real fimmaker who can pull off exactly what Reloaded did without CGI, you let me know...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 06, 2007 12:31:53 AM CST

    Get The Matrix Team Back...

    by omnislash 2.0

    Throw Neo and Agent Smith in there...

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 06, 2007 1:44:28 AM CST

    Red Line will be the New Speed Racer!

    by johnno

    http://tinyurl.com/29fv4b Damn I love this Takeshi Koike guy! He's the same guy who directed World Record in Animatrix! Maybe they should get him onboard :D

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 06, 2007 5:17:47 AM CST

    Yes, I 2

    by napoleon park

    Yup, I would also like to see a Jonny Quest live action movie. Maybe then the general public would understand the Venture Brothers.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 06, 2007 11:52:58 AM CST

    Johnno

    by dead.legend

    I don't believe that's even possible. The level of choreography just cannot be achieved. I WISH IT COULD. But until the fourth Matrix film, I'll just have to watch Tony Jaa rule ass on Jet Li and Jackie Chan and all the rest of the phonies.

    Reply to Talkback

  • Mar 06, 2007 10:12:18 PM CST

    It's too soon!

    by comin_your_way

    Fuck me that never gets old ;o)

    Reply to Talkback

User Login

Forgot password? Retrieve it here

or register as new user

Quick Talkback Form

Please login to post talkback