With the release of Lana Wachowski’s The Matrix Resurrections, the Wachowskis are back in the limelight, with renewed attention on The Matrix franchise and some of their other, more neglected films (although Lilly Wachowski wasn’t involved with the new Matrix). But, of course, one of their most unfairly neglected films ever is their 2008 big-screen version of Speed Racer. Based on the famous sixties anime, the Wachowskis and Warner Bros poured a ton of money into what they were hoping would be their next big franchise. Again, a promising cast, including rising star Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, John Goodman, Susan Sarandon and Matthew Fox (then riding high off the success of Lost), was assembled.
Shot with an IMAX release in mind, the $120 million film opened to middling reviews. Only holding a 41% on Rotten Tomatoes, one thing worth noting is that the critics who liked Speed Racer really liked it. It picked up a cult following over the years, but the box office take was poor, only earning $93 million worldwide, far below its budget.
So what happened, or rather WTF Happened to Speed Racer (2008)? We dig into it on this week’s edition of WTF Happened to this Movie. This episode is written by Jake Dee, edited by Juan Jiminez, and narrated and produced by Dave Davis.
Watch some other episodes below, and let us know what you think of 2008’s Speed Racer!