J.J. Abrams Producing a Live-Action Speed Racer Series

The Wachowskis had tried to revive the Speed Racer franchise back in 2008, but despite the film’s current cult status, we have yet to get any updates on a sequel. Now word has it that Star Wars’ J.J. Abrams wants to try his hand on the IP.

Variety reports that J.J. Abrams is teaming up with Apple to make a live-action Speed Racer series. Ron Fitzgerald and Hiram Martinez are said to be attached to write the show and serve as co-showrunners. Abrams will produce under his Bad Robot banner.

We don’t know what direction the series could go, but it’s possible that it could be way more grounded than the 2008 film. Even if that movie wasn’t a critical success when it came out, there is still a lot of praise when it comes to the stylization of the Wachowskis, and they definitely brought in some great visuals when it came to mechanized cars going at it in colourful, science-fantasy racetracks.

If you aren’t familiar with the Speed Racer cartoon, it’s a manga turned anime that follows the story of Speed, the driver behind one of pop culture’s most iconic vehicles, the Mach 5. The Mach 5 is decked out with all kinds of tech that gives Speed the advantage on the racetrack, and despite all his other enemies, he constantly has run-ins with the mysterious Racer X, who is Speed’s older brother Rex Racer.

Though I would love for Emile Hirsch to come back as Speed, I always thought the revival would go an animated route, not unlike the new Lupin III movies. If this franchise kicks off though, maybe we could be looking at some animated spinoffs in the future—whatever sells more Mach 5 toys.

No release date has been set for Apple’s Speed Racer series.