Cinematical

Well, you can put those Vince Vaughn and Keanu Reeves rumors to rest, because the Hollywood Reporter tells us that Matthew Fox (yes, that dude from Party of Five) is in final negotiations to play Racer X in the Wachowski Bros. big-screen live-action adaptation of the 1960s cartoon, Speed Racer. Phew, that was a mouthful. Fox shall join Emile Hirsch (Speed), Christina Ricci (Speed's hot girlfriend Trixie), John Goodman (Pops Racer) and Susan Sarandon (Mom Racer). Also, HR reports that Aussie Kick Gurry is in talks to play Sparky, the hippie mechanic.

Though old school TV geeks like me remember Fox from his days on Party of Five, most of you now know him as the main on Lost. (Though I don't watch the show, I'm going to go out on a limb and say he plays one of the folks stranded on that island.) Apart from Lost, Fox (who I've always thought to have a clean cut McConaughey thing going) has taken on big-screen roles in We Are Marshall and Smokin' Aces. Obviously, Lost has helped him, um, find his career again. Zing! For those not familiar with the cartoon, Racer X is Speed's racing rival -- a sort of soldier of fortune who, in the cartoons, was revealed to be Speed's long lost older brother. Since I barely remember the cartoon (let's just say the episodes I watched were lost in a cloud of smoke), I can't say whether Fox is good for this role. What do you think? Speed Racer (apparently rated 'G' for "Great, so the Wachowski's aren't going to make Ricci wear a tight leather outfit?) is scheduled to hit theaters on May 9, 2008.