Fans of "Speed Racer" span multiple generations and many cultures. The original "Speed Racer" cartoon TV series was born out of a Japanese manga (comic book) series, created by anime pioneer Tatsuo Yoshida, entitled "Pilot Ace." In 1967, the comic evolved into a Japanese television show named "Mach Go Go Go," followed by the English-dubbed, American adaptation, "Speed Racer," six months later.

"The original ‘Speed Racer’ was the Wachowski brothers’ introduction to Japanese animation," reveals Silver. "Larry and Andy were fascinated by the stories, the action and the unique visual style of the series, all of which were so remarkably different from that of the other cartoons on TV during that time. They went on to become big fans of ‘Speed Racer,’ as well as of Japanese anime as a whole."

"Speed Racer" featured the young and determined hero who triumphed against unscrupulous competitors while racing around the world in his powerful and ultra sleek Mach 5. Over 40 years and several television incarnations later, the story of Speed Racer and his adventures in the Mach 5 has been re-imagined for the big screen by the Wachowski brothers, employing not only spectacular visual effects and high-flying action, but also cutting-edge photographic techniques and state-of-the-art computer- generated imagery.

"Watching the pre-vis sequence was humbling," states Emile Hirsch, who stars in the title role of Speed Racer. "It was amazing to see how much work had already been done on this film before we even started shooting. It didn’t feel sci-fi, like ‘The Matrix’ films. It felt more magical. It’s more about colors than darkness."