It's not unexpected, but it is impressive and official: Warner Brothers Interactive will launch a a videogame that ties in with the upcoming, live-action Speed Racer feature film. It will be available in 2008 on the Wii and Nintendo DS systems as the Speed Racer film hits theaters. It will be released on the PlayStation 2  with the DVD launch.

Okay, another movie tie-in game. Sure, maybe it'll suck. But Speed Racer is a natural property on which to base a game. As long as the film's directors ( the Wachowski brothers of Matrix fame) keep the goofy, high-adrenalin action from the Japanese cartoon, it'll work. Plus, the Wii needs a good racing game, eh?

The game allows you to race as any of the film's main characters and is described as having "car-fu" style action that "will closely represent the action style being designed by for the film by the Wachowski brothers as they lend direction and assets to the development team."

“Speed Racer is an exceptionally creative property and teamed with the Wachowski brothers’ vision it makes for action-packed racing gameplay,” said Samantha Ryan, Senior Vice President, Development and Production, Warner Bros. Interactive Entertainment. “The game will capture the intensity of the racing in the film to give gamers and movie fans a chance to take the wheel after they experience the film.”

The film stars Emile Hirsch (“Alpha Dog”) as Speed, Christina Ricci (“Black Snake Moan”) as Trixie and Matthew Fox (TV’s “Lost”) as Racer X as well as Oscar winner Susan Sarandon (“Dead Man Walking”) and John Goodman (“Evan Almighty”) as Mom and Pops Racer.

We just hope Spridle and Chim Chim can hide in the trunk!