A live-action scripted television series based on the manga and animated show, Speed Racer, is being developed for Apple TV+. J.J. Abrams and Bad Robot are set to executive produce the series with Warner Bros. Television, where the filmmaker’s production company is under a deal, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Screenwriter Hiram Martinez, who’s known for scribing such television series as Snowpiercer and Get Shorty, is set to co-pen the upcoming project. He’s also set to serve as the project’s showrunner and executive producer, as his take on the source material impressed Apple, Bad Robot and Warner Bros. Ron Fitzgerald. who works with Abrams on HBO’s Westworld, will serve as Speed Racer‘s other co-writer, showrunner and executive producer.
The upcoming live-action television series has reportedly been in development for years. Apple TV+ picked up the show some time ago, and has been in the process of hiring its co-scribes in recent months.
Speed Racer, which was created by Tatsuo Yoshida, was adapted into the beloved 1960s anime series, under the titleMach GoGoGo, which ran for more than 50 episodes. The show’s mainstream success in the U.S. spawned an ongoing franchise that began in the 1990s, which ranged from comics to video releases and merchandise.
An English television remake, Speed Racer X, was produced for Nickelodeon in 2002. However, a licensing debate stopped its production.
Writer-directors The Wachowskis then adapted Speed Racer into a live-action feature film in 2008. The movie, which stared Emile Hirsch, failed to make an impression at the box office, however, and wound up losing money for its distributor, Warner Bros. Pictures.
In December 2013, the worldwide rights to the title reverted back to Tatsunoko Production following a string of lawsuits. The animation company reportedly gave its blessing to Apple TV+ for its take on Speed Racer.
The property follows the adventure of the titular auto racer, Speed Racer, and his car, the Mach 5. His team consists of his father and car builder Pops Racer, his little brother Spritle and his pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim, as well as Speed’s girlfriend Trixie. The eponymous character also frequently crosses paths with the mysterious Racer X, who is secretly Speed’s older brother Rex Racer.
While the upcoming live-action Speed Racer series is currently in development, Bad Robot’s content pipeline is currently under scrutiny by Warner Bros. Discovery CEO David Zaslav. The newly merged company is reviewing the budgets of its projects and the lack of output on Abrams’ slate.
As part of the process, Zaslav is reviewing Abrams’ upcoming sci-fi fantasy television show, Demimonde, which is set to premiere on HBO. The project is in jeopardy of being canceled before its production even begins, as Abrams reportedly sought a budget of more than $200 million for Demimonde, the first show he created since Fringe premiered in 2008.