"Lost" star Fox tunes up for "Speed" ride

By Tatiana Siegel and Borys Kit

LOS ANGELES (Hollywood Reporter) - Larry and Andy Wachowski are adding "Lost" star Matthew Fox to their "Speed Racer" vehicle.

Fox is in final negotiations to play Racer X in the live-action update of the 1960s cartoon, which the brothers behind the "Matrix" franchise are writing and directing.

In addition, Australian actor Kick Gurry is in negotiations to play Sparky, Speed's hippie mechanic.

Emile Hirsch, Christina Ricci, Susan Sarandon and John Goodman already are on board the film, which will shoot in the summer in Berlin. Warner Bros. is eyeing a summer 2008 bow.

"Speed" centers on a young race car driver, Speed (Hirsch), and his quest for glory in his thundering, gadget-laden Mach 5. Fox will play Speed's mysterious racing rival, an enigmatic soldier of fortune. He was recently in theaters with "We Are Marshall."

Kick's credits include Alex Proyas' "Garage Days" and the Weinstein Co.'s "Daltry Calhoun."

Reuters/Hollywood Reporter