Here he comes, here comes Speed Racer—back to the small screen through J.J. Abrams and his production company, Bad Robot. The live-action, scripted series will bow on Apple TV bringing the manga/animated series to screens once more.
This will be the second time a live-action take on Speed Racer has hit screens, the other of course, being the beloved movie adaptation by the Wachowskis from back in 2008, a bright and colorful take on the classic anime American kids first watched via dubs on their TVs back in the 1960s.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, the new series is based on a pitch from Hiram Martinez, the talent behind the Snowpiercer TV adaptation, who took an “exciting take” on the classic property to Apple, Warner’s, and Bad Robot that made them all sit up and take notice. Martinez’s writing partner is Ron Fitzgerald, who works on HBO’s (Bad Robot-produced) Westworld reboot.
In the works for years, it’s only recently that things have started moving forward on the property again and it makes sense that Bad Robot is getting onboard in a big way since J.J. Abrams’ production company also recently attached themselves to Mattel’s Hot Wheels adaptation showing an affinity for properties based on cars from the 1960s.
Created by Tatsuo Yoshida back in the mid-1960s, the show first bowed in ‘67-‘68 airing 52 episodes detailing the adventures of the titular Speed, his Mom and Pops, brother Spritle, his best girl, Trixie, the mysterious Racer X, and the chimpanzee, Chim-Chim. Nickelodeon tried to air a new series called Speed Racer X, but a licensing snafu cut it short. The property was tied up in legal wrangling for years, but it was finally settled again in 2013 when the rights reverted to Tatsunoko Production.
The deal is also a test for J.J. Abrams' production company that has been attached to Warner for a number of years but has had very little output in that time. Discovery-Warnermedia has been combing over their books again and are looking to see what they can cut and what they can keep. Already up on the possible chopping block is Abrams' Demimonde, his first original series (and sci-fi series) since Fringe, but one with a hugely expensive budget asking for no less than a budget in the mid 200 million—the price of a high-end Marvel movie—and with Bad Robot unwilling to budge on the budget.
Moving forward on Speed Racer is a Warner's-approved way to keep the TV development deal going, especially while it's under scutiny by new management. Now it's just about getting it to air—Bad Robot are hoping they can make Speed Racer go.
Source: The Hollywood Reporter