Apple has given the green light to a live-action speed racer series for Apple TV+, both Variety and Deadline report. JJ Abrams is set to produce the show, and it will be made under his direction bad bot production company, the outlets claim. Although the show has yet to be officially announced, the two scoops are a reliable indicator that something is definitely up with the classic anime property. The new series will be co-written by Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld, Friday night lights) and Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer, Get Shorty), both of whom have worked on genre shows before.
Of course, it will be hard to top the cinematic genius of Wachowski’s 2008 adaptation of speed racer (seriously, the world just wasn’t ready for that), but the series’ premise is ripe for another round of live action. The new series would revert to the original 1969 manga (published as Mach GoGogo). The franchise centers around an expert racer named Speed Racer, his family/racing team (which includes a pet chimp for some reason), and his hot-blooded car, the Mach 5. There have already been several animated reboots of the show in America. , but it will be interesting to see how another team brings speed racer in the live action arena.
