The Racer Family, Friends And Foes

There are two elements at the center of "Speed Racer"-racing and the Racer family, both of which are deeply intertwined. "Speed's family eats, drinks, and breathes car racing. After all, their last name is Racer," smiles Emile Hirsch. "They work together as a unit. It's all about teamwork and doing the right thing. I think that's what makes the heart of the story appealing-everyone gets to participate in the adventure."

The Racer family home is an idyllic suburban single-family house, where Pops Racer builds racecars in the garage and their pride and joy, the Mach 5, is the centerpiece of the living room. Mom Racer is the backbone of the Racer household, providing comfort, support, and advice, not to mention delicious baked goods. Speed's wisecracking younger brother, Spritle, and their family pet chimpanzee, Chim-Chim, have their own ways for staying close to the action by hitching rides in the trunk of Speed's Mach 5 or hiding in unexpected places. Speed's faithful girlfriend, Trixie, shows her dedication to the Racer family on, off and even above the track from her pink helicopter. Sparky provides dependable service to Racer Motors as Pops' trusty mechanic.

For the title role, Hirsch held the pole position in the minds of filmmakers throughout an exhaustive casting process that spanned three continents and involved hundreds of actors. "I couldn't believe it when I got the part," Hirsch states. "I used to watch the 'Speed Racer' cartoon at home in the mornings while eating my cereal. I've watched every episode. I'm also a huge fan of 'The Matrix' trilogy, so I am really excited to be in a movie directed by Larry and Andy."

"When we first met Emile, we knew that he had the right look, youthful appeal and talent necessary to play Speed Racer," Joel Silver offers. "At the time, 'Into the Wild' had not even come out, but we also felt strongly about his ability to carry the lead role in our movie."

Christina Ricci plays Trixie, Speed's number-one crush, who has been his friend and fan since grade school. Smart, stylish and strong-willed, Trixie can be found cheering for Speed in the grandstand or helping him navigate treacherous racecourses from her helicopter.

"Trixie is my kind of girl," says Ricci. "She's always up for adventure and does everything the boys do without the film commenting on the fact she's a girl. She does all these things-strategizes with Speed, flies a helicopter and even does kung fu-but she has a special super cute ensemble for each activity. Trixie is a tomboy and girly girl all at the same time, which makes her really fun."

Never one to discount the significance of personal style, Ricci recalls, "When I went in for my meeting with the Wachowskis, I was intimidated to meet them because I had been such a big fan of theirs for so long. I was a bit shy and couldn't really speak, but then I looked down and saw that we were all wearing the same black Chuck Taylor Converse sneakers and I knew then that everything was going to be alright."

Another steadfast supporter in Speed's world is Mom Racer, played by Susan Sarandon. The Oscar-winning actress was attracted to the project by the Wachowskis' story, which emphasizes the importance of a cohesive family unit. "I liked the idea that the Racer family lives in a timeless little pod, where they still sit down together to have dinner every night," she says. "Mom Racer is the glue that holds everybody together."

"Mom Racer is definitely the rock of the Racer family," adds John Goodman, who stars as the head of the Racer family in the role of Pops Racer. "She's the one everybody goes to with problems."

Pops Racer is a brilliant car designer and engineer who builds Speed's racecars, just as he had Rex Racer's cars before him. "He's been building cars since Speed was an infant," says Goodman. Staunchly independent and driven more by passion for the sport than profit, "Pops is extremely wary of Royalton's offer," Goodman adds. "He hopes that Speed will turn it down, but he's willing to let Speed decide for himself."

Goodman, who also grew up watching the "Speed Racer" cartoon series on TV, recalls, "I had never seen anything like 'Speed Racer' when it first came out, so I watched it all the time. When I heard that the Wachowskis were shooting a live-action version, I jumped at the chance be a part of it."

While Emile Hirsch, John Goodman and the Wachowski brothers enjoyed the "Speed Racer" television series as kids, Matthew Fox, who plays the mysterious Racer X, had a notably different experience. "I grew up on a farm in Wyoming without a television, so I missed out on watching 'Speed Racer' as a kid." Fox nevertheless did his homework prior to his first meeting with the Wachowskis. "I did some research on the cartoon series before I met with Larry and Andy, and when I saw how Racer X was portrayed in the original show, I became even more eager to play the role."

Fox did share some common ground with the Wachowskis, noting, "One of the first things they said to me about their goal with this project was that they wanted to make a movie their nieces and nephews could really enjoy. I have a ten-year-old daughter and a five-and-a-half-year-old son, so knowing that my kids will see me as Racer X in this movie is tremendously exciting." On the role of Racer X, Fox states, "This is not a guy that's walking around in disguise because he wants to. He's operating at a really deep level of intelligence gathering and working with a secret law enforcement organization to stop corruption in racing. The stakes are life-and-death for a lot of people, which require his true identity remain concealed."

Doing their own share of inconspicuous intelligence gathering are the offbeat dynamic duo of Spritle, the youngest member of the Racer family, and his pet chimpanzee, Chim-Chim. The two are always looking for adventure, but are usually left behind by the adults, so they get creative in finding ways to join the fun, such as stowing away in the trunk of Speed's Mach 5.

"Spritle is a mischievous little boy who wants to be like the grownups," says actor Paulie Litt, who plays Spritle. "Everybody underestimates him. They wanna protect him because he's just a child, but what they don't know is that even though he's small, he's mighty. He's chock-full of knowledge about racing and cars and wants to be part of everything, so he finds ways to avoid being left out. If he had his way, he'd be in the trunk of the Mach 5 for every race."

Only 11 years old during production, Litt won the role of Spritle over 250 other young hopefuls. "It was every kid's dream," Litt states. "I got to be on a movie set in Germany for the summer and I got to hang out with a chimpanzee all day. How cool is that?"

Chim-Chim was actually played by two chimps named Willy and Kenzie. "There were really only two or three chimps in the world with the training to fit the role," says animal coordinator Sled Reynolds. Willy, who was three years old and had the benefit of advanced training, was the lead chimp, while the younger Kenzie, at two, served as Willy's understudy and stand-in.

Since Spritle and Chim-Chim are never far apart onscreen, it was important that they develop a bond. The process of building a relationship between Litt and the chimpanzees took place over the course of eight weeks. "Paulie spent two or three hours a day with Willy and Kenzie and gradually developed a rapport with them. He was very respectful of the chimps and became a natural with them," Reynolds remarks.

"I'm a big animal person, so I had a blast working with Willy and Kenzie," Litt attests. "They're so lovable and intelligent, and they had very different personalities and facial features, just like you and me."

Recognizing Speed Racer as a real up-and-comer-and potential threat to his dominance of the sport-billionaire tycoon E.P. Arnold Royalton, founder of the multinational corporation Royalton Industries, offers Speed a lucrative sponsorship deal that will give him access to Royalton's state-of-the-art equipment and training facilities.

"Royalton offers Speed the deal of a lifetime, but with strings attached," says Hirsch. "He must choose between driving for Royalton for lots of money and continuing to race as an independent against the most powerfully backed drivers on the circuit. When Speed declines Royalton's offer, Royalton threatens Speed, telling him that all of the races are fixed and that he will never win another race without Royalton. From that moment on, Speed sets out to prove Royalton wrong and to protect the sport that he loves."

For the role of the greed-driven founder of Royalton Industries, the Wachowskis sought the talents of acclaimed British actor Roger Allam, with whom they had previously worked on "V for Vendetta." Allam offers, "It's great to work with Larry and Andy once again. The brothers are very relaxed on set and work great in tandem."

Allam describes Royalton as "a self-made man. He's not from a wealthy background as one might assume for someone in his position. He is someone who started out as an ambitious businessman who has worked hard for his success and, in doing so, created a vast industrial empire. He is powerful to an extent where he thinks he can influence the outcome of every race."

Royalton's latest plot involves manipulating two competing families on the WRL circuit: Musha Motors and Togokahn Motors. The head of Musha Motors, Mr. Musha, is played by acclaimed Japanese actor Hiroyuki Sanada.

"Mr. Musha is a pure businessman," remarks Sanada. "He has wanted to control his main rival, Togokahn Motors, for a long time. Royalton knows this and offers to deliver Togokahn to Musha in exchange for Musha Motors' transponder foundry. This deal will allow Musha to dominate his competition and allow Royalton to corner the transponder market."

Sanada grew up watching the original Japanese version of "Mach Go Go Go" in his native Japan. "I can still remember the opening song. 'Speed Racer' made history for Japanese animation in the United States and the Wachowski brothers are always making history with their films, so I am very happy to be a part of this movie."

Making history in his own right is Korean pop sensation Rain, who was recently named one of TIME Magazine's Top 100 Most Influential People. Rain makes his American feature debut in "Speed Racer" as Taejo Togokahn, the lead driver and heir apparent of Togokahn Motors.

"I think people are going to be blown away by Rain in this film. He has a great presence onscreen that just commands your attention," Silver states.

Rain's character Taejo is forced to defend his family name when they are threatened by Royalton's plot. "Togokahn Motors has been in Taejo's family for five generations," notes Rain. "Racing in the WRL has changed a great deal over the generations since Taejo's family started the business. There used to be a certain nobility about the sport and the drivers, but now everything seems to be about image, branding and profits. Like Speed, my character is out to protect the family business."

Hot on the tracks of Royalton's plot to take over Togokahn Motors is Inspector Detector, played by German actor Benno Fürmann. "Inspector Detector has been investigating corruption in the World Racing League for many years," Fürmann states. "Now he is teamed with Racer X and they are getting close to uncovering Royalton's scheme, but they need the help of Speed Racer to make it happen."

Completing the main cast in "Speed Racer" are Australian actor Kick Gurry, who plays Sparky, Racer Motors' indispensable gearhead and a member of the extended Racer family; and Richard Roundtree, who plays Ben Burns, a legendary WRL racer and former champion of the Grand Prix.

Fans of the original series may remember Speed's longtime nemeses Snake Oiler, Cruncher Block and the Gray Ghost-played by Christian Oliver, John Benfield and Moritz Bleibtreu, respectively. The Wachowskis have also introduced new rivals, including Jack "Cannonball" Taylor, one of the most celebrated drivers in the WRL circuit and star member of Royalton's team, played by Ralph Herforth; Prince Kabala, a driver whose car is completely encrusted in precious jewels and worth an estimated $22 million, played by Ashley Walters; Delila, leader of the Flying Foxes Freight team, whose devious racing tactics may deflate Speed's chances of finishing a race, played by Jana Pallaske; and Grand Prix competitor Kellie "Gearbox" Kalinkov, played by Venezuelan-born Indy-car driver Milka Duno.

Though the process of assembling the internationally diverse cast of "Speed Racer" was no easy feat, producer Grant Hill offers, "I think Larry and Andy did a wonderful job populating the world of 'Speed Racer.' It was cool to hear so many different languages being used on set, and an international project like 'Speed Racer' deserves a truly international cast."

"We really had an amazingly diverse cast, but everyone fit their roles perfectly," agrees Joel Silver. "And it was great to watch the dynamic between Susan and John with the younger actors like Emile and Christina and Paulie. They really did become like a family on the set."

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