March 23, 2007 - Emile Hirsch (Alpha Dog) is set to star in the title role of Warner Bros. Pictures' and Village Roadshow Pictures' new actioner Speed Racer, under the direction of the Wachowski brothers. Although the Hollywood trades reported the casting earlier this week, the official announcement was made today by Jeff Robinov, President of Production, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Robinov said in a statement, "Emile Hirsch is one of today's fastest-rising young stars, which makes him the perfect choice to take the wheel of Speed's Mach 5. He continues to showcase his talents in a variety of challenging roles and we are thrilled to have him in the title role of Speed Racer."

Hirsch recorded a video message to Speed Racer fans, which is posted at YouTube.com. "Ever since I was a kid I wanted to be in a movie like this with guys like Larry and Andy, who made The Matrix, which is just one of my favorite trilogies of all time. It's just a new vision, something you've never really seen before. It's futuristic, like Blade Runner meets Andy Warhol kind of pop art and just this kind of colorful world. There's something about racing. In America everybody has a car so everybody can be Speed in a weird way. One of the dangerous parts of the audition process for me was I'd get into the character of Speed and I'd be like driving home after the audition like (mimics racecar noise). You gotta be careful driving. It's crazy."

Slated for release on May 9, 2008, Speed Racer is being written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, and produced by Joel Silver under his Silver Pictures banner.

Based on the classic series created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, the live-action Speed Racer will follow the adventures of the young race car driver Speed in his quest for glory on and off the track in his thundering Mach 5. The film will feature other characters that fans of the show will remember, including Speed's family and his mysterious arch-rival, Racer X. The new high-octane actioner will combine the kind of revolutionary visual effects and cutting-edge storytelling that have become the benchmarks of the Wachowskis' films, bringing Speed Racer into the 21st century.