Emile Hirsch Reflects on Speed Racer’s 2008 Box Office Flop and Cult Revival

When Speed Racer premiered in theaters on May 9, 2008, it failed to connect with audiences and critics alike. The New York Times dismissed it as a film that “goes nowhere, and you’d be amazed how long the trip can take.” The A.V. Club called it “forward-thinking, visionary, and much of the time unwatchable.”

Moviegoers agreed. The film, starring Emile Hirsch as the titular racer, earned just $93.9 million worldwide on a $120 million budget, barely crossing the finish line. Nearly two decades later, however, Speed Racer has been reappraised as a bold, ahead-of-its-time masterpiece. Even The A.V. Club’s Scott Tobias later labeled it “cutting-edge work,” admitting, “not everyone is ready for the future, even if they suspect they’re seeing it.”

Among those who recognized its brilliance from the start was Emile Hirsch. As the actor behind the wheel of Speed Racer’s iconic Mach 5, Hirsch had unwavering faith in the film’s vision.

Emile Hirsch on the Wachowskis’ Vision

“When we saw the finished product, it was incredible,” Hirsch told Den of Geek. “Then when the world rejected it the way they did, it didn’t shake my confidence in the film, but it did blow my mind.

“We knew we had a great movie, we loved it,” he continued. “We poured our hearts into making it, and the movie was so beautiful. And then to have it come out and get rejected at the box office, and have the critics pile on. It felt like we were shunned.”

The film’s reception in 2008 was harsh. It followed the Matrix sequels, which had raised doubts about the Wachowskis’ filmmaking abilities. Worse, it debuted the same weekend as Iron Man—a film that launched the Marvel Cinematic Universe—and six weeks before The Dark Knight, another genre-defining blockbuster. Between the competition and its unapologetic sincerity and visual excess, Speed Racer was overwhelmed at the box office.

Why Emile Hirsch Believed in Speed Racer from the Start

Hirsch never doubted the film’s potential. He credited the Wachowskis’ writing for making the vision clear without irony. “I got it from the moment I read the script,” he said. “The way the Wachowskis write makes it clear, and I understand what they mean, without any irony.

“You watch the Matrix trilogy, and Keanu Reeves is giving this very sincere performance. There are a couple of comedic moments, but overall there’s this sincerity in his performance. My instinct was to gravitate toward that tone, because that’s clearly what they like.

“You look at Speed and he’s this pure, sweet-natured person. There’s no blasé way to play Speed. If you were to try to be ironic or winking, the scene would feel off. So I had to be all the way in it.”