UNITED KINGDOM: The cast of the Wachowski brothers latest film jet into a rain swept London for the premiere of 'Speed Racer.'

Record ID: 219884

  • Title: UNITED KINGDOM: The cast of the Wachowski brothers latest film jet into a rain swept London for the premiere of 'Speed Racer.'
  • Date: 1st May 2008
  • Summary: WOMEN WAVING CHEQUERED FLAGS FANS WAITING AT PREMIER, CAMERA PANS TO REVEAL UMBRELLAS FANS IN THE RAIN ACTOR EMILE HIRSCH WALKING ON THE RED CARPET IN THE RAIN
  • Embargoed: 16th May 2008 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: United Kingdom
  • Country: United Kingdom
  • Reuters ID: LVA1LYGCVB3LP5KAENJ4Q42H16UR
  • Story Text: It was umbrellas all round as stars Emile Hirsch, Rain, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman walked a rain sodden red carpet at the UK premiere of 'Speed Racer' on Tuesday, April 29.
    Actor Emile Hirsch, whose breakthrough, film 'Into the Wild,' may have seen him pitted against nature, was not expecting the London premiere to be a rain-affected affair, describing it as, 'kind of cool."
    Yet all that time in the wild with director Sean Penn meant that Hirsch wanted a complete change of scenery for his next project.

    "That was part of the appeal for me, after 'Into the Wild' and being in nature, I felt I had my share of it and I needed a completely artificial world and it was just kind of shocking you know," Hirsch told Reuters.
    Hirsch plays the title character in "Speed Racer," who is destined to fulfill the racing legacy of his brother, who died in a race.
    Born to race cars, Speed is aggressive and fearless, and even designs automobiles in his spare time.

    "Speed Racer" was entirely filmed on a green screen, leaving actors to use their imagination for scenery during much of the production.
    South Korean singer/actor Rain, making his debut in a US studio film, was thrilled for the experience, telling Reuters, "You know, I made it."
    Putting his considerable weight behind Joel Silver's production, Rain's positive endorsement of the move may see the film play well in emerging Asian film markets.

    "Speed Racer', you are going to like it. It will be huge, absolutely huge, absolutely."
    As London fans clamoured to steal a look at the latest Hollywood heart throb to walk the red carpet in Leicester Square, Hirsch made light of the down side of his new found celebrity.

    "I was having a burrito the other day, I was getting spied on a little, it was funny."
    Asked if he was sill enjoying the attention from fans, Hirsch joked, "Yeah, as long as it is not some ninety year-old guy with a bunch of tattoos."

    "Speed Racer" is the second of the summer blockbuster films to go on release this year, going up against the first, "Iron Man."
    which was the first of the big studio films to be released in 2008. Following will be ''Sex and the City' and 'Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Skull'.

    "Speed Racer" drives into European theatres on May 8.
  • Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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