MUMBAI: Christina Ricci has been set to star opposite Emile Hirsch in Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ new action adventure Speed Racer.

Ricci will play Trixie, Speed’s loyal and courageous girlfriend, who also proves to be a formidable ally both on and off the racetrack.

Warner Bros. Pictures president of production Jeff Robinov said, “Christina Ricci is a young actress of extraordinary range, who has become a favorite of both critics and audiences in a wide variety of movies, from mainstream features to acclaimed indie films. She is an amazing talent and we think she is going to do a great job with the role of Trixie.”

Ricci recently received praise for her performance in the controversial drama Black Snake Moan. She also earned an Emmy Award nomination for her guest role on the hit series Grey’s Anatomy. She next stars in the title role of the fantasy drama Penelope. Earlier in her career, she garnered Golden Globe and Independent Spirit Award nominations and won a National Board of Review Award for her work in The Opposite of Sex.

Ricci’s list of film credits also includes Monster, Anything Else, Sleepy Hollow, The Ice Storm and The Addams Family amongst others.

Slated to be released on 9 May, 2008, Speed Racer also stars John Goodman and Susan Sarandon. The film is being written and directed by Larry and Andy Wachowski, marking the brothers’ first writing/directing collaboration since the Matrix movies. Joel Silver, who previously worked with the Wachowskis on both the Matrix movies and V For Vendetta, is producing the film under his Silver Pictures banner.