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J.J. Abrams is working on a new ‘Speed Racer’ live-action series for Apple

By Christian Imperio Published May 26, 2022 7:40 pm

Speed Racer is reportedly getting a live-action TV series at Apple.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the upcoming project based on the popular manga and anime series will be executive produced by J.J. Abrams and his production company, Bad Robot.

Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer, Get Shorty), whose “exciting take” on the series reportedly impressed Apple, Bad Robot, and Warner Bros. Television, has been tapped as showrunner and co-writer of the upcoming project. 

Ron Fitzgerald, who works with Abrams on HBO’s Westworld, will also serve as co-writer and showrunner.

According to sources, the live-action series has been in the works for years and “stems from Abrams and Bad Robot’s overall deal with Warner Bros. TV.”

“The show landed at Apple some time ago and has been in the process of meeting and hiring its co-writers in recent months as sources note the development process has been excruciatingly slow,” it said.

The new live-action adaptation will be part of Abrams’ pipeline of projects, which include the recently announced Hot Wheels adaptation and Demimonde.

First serialized on Shueisha’s Shonen Book in 1966, the manga series, created by Tatsuo Yoshida, follows the story of Go Mifune, also known as Speed Racer, who aspires to become a professional racer.

The manga was later adapted into a 52-episode anime series that ran from 1967 to 1968, while a modern version of the anime premiered in 1997 which lasted for 34 episodes.

Meanwhile, an English adaptation of the remake found its way on Nickelodeon in 2002, but ended quickly due to licensing problems.

Several years later, a live-action movie written and directed by the Wachowskis was released in 2008 and starred Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon, Matthew Fox, Roger Allam, Benno Fürmann, Hiroyuki Sanada, and Rain and Richard Roundtree.

Despite having a $120 million budget, the film adaptation only grossed $93 million worldwide.