Star Wars' JJ Abrams is executive producer on new Apple TV+ project Speed Racer – a live-action show based on the popular manga series, according to Variety.
This is the latest of several shows Abrams is set to produce with his production company Bad Robot, under Warner Bros Television.
Hiram Martinez (Snowpiercer) and Ron Fitzgerald (Westworld) have been brought on board as the co-writers of the new series as well as executive producers and showrunners.
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Speed Racer has long been popular in the US market, with the the first adaptation hitting screens in 1993. Most recently, in 2008 there was a live-action movie written and directed by the Wachowskis, alongside another animated series, Speed Racer: The Next Generation. This latest JJ Abrams show is not believed to be connected to any previous adaptations.
The original manga series by Tatsuo Yoshida, which came out in 1966, follows Speed Racer and his car. He is joined by his friends and family on his various adventures including his father, Pops Racer, his brother Spritle, his pet chimpanzee Chim-Chim and his girlfriend Trixie. He also crosses paths with estranged (and secret) older brother Rex Racer (aka Racer X).
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JJ Abrams is currently also working on the fourth Star Trek film, which is set to bring back a number of the original cast members, including Chris Pine. Filming is slated to start at the end of the year.
In a statement, Abrams said: "We're thrilled about this film, we have a bunch of other stories that we're talking about that we think will be really exciting, so can't wait for you to see what we're cooking up. But until then, live long and prosper."
Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker and the entire Skywalker Saga are available on DVD, Blu-ray and 4K now, as well as on Disney+, while Rise of Skywalker is also on Sky Cinema Premiere and NOW.
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Asyia is an entertainment reporter covering TV, film, theatre, music, books and general showbiz.
She was previously a freelance reporter who has written for publications including Glamour, gal-dem, Metro and Bustle.
She has a gold-standard NCTJ diploma from News Associates. Asyia has covered industry events such as the London Film Festival and BFI Flare and has a specialist interest in analysing LGBTQ+ issues, race and identity within the cultural landscape.
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