The Wachowski Siblings are adding the final pieces to their big screen version of Speed Racer, a crummy cartoon from Japan notable only for the monkey and the fact that the theme song was once remixed into a techno track that I liked to play while on ecstasy: they’ve hired Australian actor Kick Gurry (Jesus can those Aussies name their young) as Speed’s hippie mechanic Sparky, and they’ve lined up Matthew Fox to play Racer X.
Matthew Fox is best known as one of the leads on Lost – his Dr. Jack is the heroic center of the show. He’ll shoot Speed Racer this summer during the show’s hiatus. Racer X is, of course, the mysterious rival of Speed’s who looks like early Scott Summers and who is actually Speed’s long lost brother. Spoiler! I hope Racer X’s story is tragic, because Fox always looks like he’s on the verge of crying. I interviewed the guy once and the whole time I thought he’d start bawling at any moment.
It seems like most of the major roles have been cast… except for that monkey. I would like to recommend Warwick Davis with a rug stapled to his back.