Now that Speed Racer is locked into a May 2008 global release date and they’ve got a lead in the form of Emile Hirsch, we’ve been expecting the rest of the cast to fill out pretty damn fast. And that’s exactly what looks to be happening as today brings news that Speed’s parents are cast. First up is the ever iconic role of Pops, the burly (and oddly lip-synched) patriarch who does all of the tech work for Speed and his Mach 5 vehicle, who will be played by John Goodman. Even more interesting is the choice of Susan Sarandon as Speed’s mother. I certainly can’t remember Sarandon ever doing anything this pocorn-y and big budget before, so this should be something to see.
What this tells me is that while Warners may be banking on the brand name of the filmmakers and Speed himself, the Wachowskis seem to be pretty serious about packing this thing with quality folks that will add some value to the film on top of the gadget-laden race scenes and such. ‘Tis a good sign. Plus, with this news, we should be hearing who’ll be playing Racer X soon enough, and we have every indication that it’ll be somebody unexpected, yet damn talented anyway. This baby may stand a chance once it hits the track against Iron Man, Prince Caspian, and Indy 4, after all.