http://cache.io9.com/assets/base/img/thumbs140x140/io9.com.png http://io9.com/tag/wachowskis http://io9.com/tag/wachowskis Natalie Portman was supposed to star in Alfonso Cuarón's Gravity before she dropped out and was replaced by Sandra Bullock. But now that Portman is coming back from her maternity break, she's reportedly considering starring in another spacey movie — the Wachowskis' Jupiter Ascending. Or at least, the Wachowskis are actively courting her. What is Jupiter Ascending about? Nobody really knows — although rumors were circulating a few months ago that it's about Earth colonies at war. Let's hope this really does have some huge space action scenes, and Portman's post-Black Swan clout actually gets it made. Oh, and let's hope there are no long scenes of Colonel Sanders explaining Philosophy 101, too. [L.A. Times] More »
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Neo might be returning to the big screen, according to the original spoon-bender, Keanu Reeves himself. Reeves just spilled the beans on the Wachowskis' plans to make two more Matrix movies! Update: It's a hoax. More »
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Halle Berry just confirmed the Wachowski's next big project is Cloud Atlas, based on David Mitchell's acclaimed novel that tells a series of stories from the 19th century to the post-apocalypse. Also possibly attached: Tom Hanks and Natalie Portman. [NataliePortman.com] More »
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Science fiction has rocked cinemas for a century, and the genre has produced many undisputed classics during that time. But which movies are essential viewing for anyone interested in the genre? We broke down the 25 must-watch science fiction films. More »
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Buckle in for spoilers! Find out what we won't see in Breaking Dawn's birth scene. See gorgeous Tron/Red posters. Marvel at crazy Superman rumors. Witness thrilling Fringe/Transformers set pics. Plus Green Hornet, Scott Pilgrim, Mission Impossible, Supernatural, Chuck and Smallville! More »
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The cast of Cowboys And Aliens keeps getting better. Stars talk Thor, Jonah Hex, Transformers 3, Fringe and Eureka. There are details on the Wachowskis' war movie. New Airbender, Cape, Undercovers and Chuck pics. Plus Supernatural, Doctor Who and Lost. More »
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We heard from an actor who hints he's Batman 3's Riddler. Jesse "The Body" Ventura describes the Wachowskis' mystery war movie, and a producer explains the Let The Right One In remake. Plus Doctor Who, V, Lost, Fringe and Supernatural. More »
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Did you know the Wachowskis were filming a new "futuristic" movie? Neither did we, until Huffington Post founder Arianna Huffington tweeted a series of pictures from the set of the mystery film, which is about Iraq 90 years from now. More »
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The Matrix was one of the best movies of the last decade, but its director/producer team, the Wachowskis, headed downhill with the sequels, and bombed with Speed Racer. Here's what they need to do next. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5169075&view=rss&microfeed=true That rumor we reported the other day, about Warner Bros. talking to the Wachowskis about rebooting the Superman franchise with a new movie? Apparently, made of the same stuff as the fuel in Speed Racer's gasoline-free cars. Slashfilm heard from two informed sources, who said there have been no Super-discussions with the Wachowskis at any point. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=5156324&view=rss&microfeed=true A movie version of Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell's ambitious literary novel, is in the works. Director Tom Tykwer (The International) revealed that he's working with the Wachowskis on a script for an adaptation. Given that Cloud Atlas involves six interlocking (and incomplete) narratives — two of which take place in the future — a movie version could be a dizzying masterpiece, or it could be another The Fountain. Fingers crossed! [First Showing] More »
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Why are audiences swooning over Iron Man's shiny suit but not over Speed Racer's sleek car? I mean, what the hell is going on when people have already spent nearly $200 million on watching lameass Iron Man get revenge in Afghanistan, but only about $20 million watching the awesome Speed zoom with sparkly CGI pizzazz across all those finish lines? Analysts have speculated that Speed Racer's death by box office might have been caused by a boring and confusing plot, or early negative reviews. But I know the real reason. Speed Racer is freaking people out because it's just too gay. Here are ten reasons why. More »
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James McTeigue (V For Vendetta) is set bring his flair for darkness to the science fiction movie Revelation. It's his first non-Wachowskis-produced project (he's also directing their Ninja Assassin movie.) And it has everything: ritual murders, alien abductions and weird conspiracies. More »
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The hype about Speed Racer has been fairly negative, and I can only guess that's because people still have a bad taste in their mouths from The Matrix Revolutions, the most recent film directed by Speed Racer helmers the Wachowskis. In addition, I think there's been a lot of skepticism about whether the director pair could really do a kid-friendly movie after their lesbian noir flick Bound and sexy/fetishy scifi fare like the Matrix trilogy. I was dubious too, but after a few minutes of immersion in the clever, color-drenched world of Speed Racer, I was surprised to find myself becoming a believer. No shock that the visuals were brilliant, but honestly I wasn't expecting . . . fun. (Spoilers ahead, my racers.) More »
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I saw Speed Racer last night, and though I can't tell you much about it yet (full review on Thursday!), I can say this: It might actually be better than director/producer pair the Wachowskis previous effort, The Matrix. I know them's fightin' words, but you gotta trust me on this one. Or, better, take our poll below and see if you can guess what makes Speed Racer better than the flashy trilogy that pitted latex-clad hackers against machines who enslave humans in a VR world so they can use our body heat as energy. Honestly, how could a movie be better than that? Take our poll, and I'll tell you Thursday if you got it right. More »
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Speed Racer is a simple concept movie about futuristic cars which producer/director team the Wachowskis have managed to make almost as complicated as their Matrix trilogy. New clips from the film released yesterday take us deeper inside the visually bizarre world the Wachowskis built for this film, and what's becoming obvious is that Speed Racer isn't just CGI-for-CGI's-sake. We've got some clips that will make you think about Speed Racer in a whole new way. More »
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The longest promo video for Speed Racer is also the most coherent — and the most exciting. Somehow all those swooshes of cars flipping over each other look a lot more thrilling when you can place them in some sort of context. Plus some of the coolest bits of this video are either new, or I've missed them in the shorter, more chopped up versions — like the wheel knife duel halfway through. I've been more and more juiced for Speed since I talked to designer Owen Paterson a couple weeks ago, but this video has convinced me to enjoy Speed Racer totally on its own hyper-crack-monkey terms. More »
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If you're an MTV addict — and, really, who doesn't find themselves glued to My Super Sweet 16 every time it's on? Why didn't my parents rent out NYC and buy me Jay-Z when I turned 16? I feel deprived — then I just want to tell you in advance: Your TiVo isn't broken. It's just been hijacked by the Wachowskis, who plan to fast forward through trailers to give themselves some time to tell you about Speed Racer. More »
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Owen Paterson designed the bleak cityscapes of the Matrix movies and V For Vendetta, and now he's creating the candy-colored neopolises of Speed Racer. Not to mention concept cars with wheels that can turn a full 180 degrees. We tracked him down in Sydney, Australia and asked him about the visual influences behind Cosmopolis, the city where Speed races, and the cars which Speed and his opponents drive. Along the way, he dropped a surprising amount of backstory about the alternate world of the Wachowski's Speed Racer, coming in May. More »
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Collin Chou, who played the Seraph in the Wachowski's Matrix trilogy, has confirmed that he'll be starring in a fantastical ninja movie to be produced by the Wachowskis. He couldn't say much about it, but did admit it would have fantasy elements and that production is set to start next month. Korean pop singer Rain, who most recently played a cyborg in I'm a Cyborg But That's OK, will also be in the flick, rumored to be called Ninja Assassin. [Sci Fi Wire] More »
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The full-length trailer for the Wachowskis' Speed Racer showcases more character development for Speed and Christina Ricci's Trixie. It also shows off some of the cool weapons and gadgets the Mach 5 will deploy on its way to drag-strip victory and unraveling an evil anti-fairness conspiracy. Most importantly, it gives us our first look at the character we've all been waiting to see... Chim-Chim, Speed's monkey sidekick. In general, the trailer makes Speed Racer look just a hair less manic, and possibly more fun, than earlier versions. More »
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The amazing car-fu in this summer's Speed Racer includes a dive off a sheer mountain cliff, and some kind of weird stilt-hop to avoid getting rammed. Two new international trailers just came out, and they show even more of the crazy buggy action. I'm beginning to think Speed Racer 's title includes the name of the drug you should be snorting to appreciate this film. Click through for a second new trailer. More »
]]> http://io9.com/index.php?op=postcommentfeed&postId=365669&view=rss&microfeed=true The Wachowskis are using the ultra-commercial Speed Racer to work out their fear of being sell-outs, judging from the just-released trailer. The film's central conflict: either Speed signs an Evil Contract Of Doom, or the corporate overlord will destroy him. Luckily, John Goodman has canny advice. And a mongoose glued to his upper lip. More »
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Don't expect Speed Racer to be another Matrix. The Wachowskis' new film will embrace its kiddie cartoon roots, judging from this clip. Matthew Fox from Lost wears a X-cowl just like the one Racer X wears in the cartoon, and spouts silly bad-guy dialog. And Christina Ricci has a weird Velma bob. Just look at this picture: More »
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• The Wachowskis' Speed Racer movie backgrounds will be all greenscreen like 300, says star Emile Hirsch. All except for Chim Chim the monkey, which is real. And presumably flung its poop at the pristine green walls. [Empire]
• Dave "Heartbreaking Work of Staggering Genius" Eggers collaborated with director Spike Jonze on the script to Where The Wild Things Are, Jonze's next movie. Wild Things will mix live puppeteering and computer animation. [Hollywood Reporter]
• The Mist took ninth place in the holiday weekend box office, behind more obvious holiday movies Enchanted, This Christmas, Bee Movie and Fred Claus. But Beowulf, American Gangster and Hitman also blew The Mist away.

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