While the Wachowski’s version of Speed Racer is already doing laps in Berlin, new faces keep getting added to the cast. The latest: Richard Roundtree, known to a generation of moviegoers as Shaft, the black private dick that’s a sex machine to all the chicks. A less lucky generation knows him as the old dead guy on Heroes. Poor young people.
Roundtree will be playing Ben Burns, a former racer turned race commentator. Apparently he’s a popular character for the fans of the show, and he’s yet another in Speed’s arsenal of pals. Other friends of Speed include Christina Ricci as Trixie*, John Goodman as Pops, Susan Sarandon as Mom**, and Matthew Fox as some character who is always on the verge of tears. Emile Hirsch, who I think is too good an actor for a film like this, stars as Speed.
* Characters named Speed and Trixie? This makes it sound more like a seedy look at the world of hookers and drug addicts. Which I’d probably rather see, anyway.
** Only the Wachowskis could envision a world where John Goodman is regularly sticking it to Susan Sarandon. All hail.