[Green Hornet] Casting News

[Compound]

Okay, as some of you may be aware, Columbia recently announced that in 2010 (and boy, it feels weird to be typing that and referring to an actual future date rather than "generic date in the future"), they'll be releasing a Green Hornet film, starring Seth Rogan as the Hornet. Yes, he's not exactly who I'd cast in that role.

Anyway, they've also announced who is playing Kato, the Hornet's sidekick as well as announcing the director. And they're both Stephen Chow. Yes, that Stephen Chow.

The Press Release:

Chow to Direct and Star in Green Hornet!
Source:Columbia Pictures September 19, 2008


Stephen Chow, one of Asia's most popular box-office draws as the award-winning star and director of such films as Kung Fu Hustle, CJ7, and Shaolin Soccer, will direct Seth Rogen and star opposite him as Kato in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, set for release June 25, 2010, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, who will also executive produce. Neal H. Moritz is the producer through his Original Film production company.

In tapping Chow to helm The Green Hornet, Sony Pictures Entertainment continues a long association with the star and director. Under its local language initiative, Sony co-produced and released Chow's Kung Fu Hustle, which went on to gross over $100 million worldwide and received a Golden Globe® nomination as well as six Hong Kong Film Awards and five Taiwan Golden Horse Awards. Sony also released CJ7.

Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, "When Seth, Evan, and Neal said they wanted Stephen Chow to be part of 'The Green Hornet,' it was a fantasy. Now that it's happening, it's almost too good to be true. Stephen's been a very important part of the Sony family for many years, so it's truly serendipitous for us to be moving forward with him directing the movie and starring as Kato."

Chow added, "I'm excited to be taking on 'The Green Hornet' -- obviously, I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true. I'm grateful to my friends at Sony, who have shown so much faith in me for so many years. I'm looking forward to working with Seth, Evan, Neal, and the team at Sony, and I'm eager to get started."

Moritz said, "'The Green Hornet' is a dream project and it's come together in a dream way. Seth will be fantastic in the lead role, and Stephen was the only name on the list for Kato. The material is a perfect match for his sensibilities -- Stephen in the director's chair is the best thing for the film."

Rogen said, "Stephen was always my and Evan's first choice for director and to play Kato. We just hope that he never finds out we're not the Wachowski Brothers."

Ori Marmur will serve as the Executive Producer of the film.

Chow previously told us of his interest in the project. "When I saw the program, I thought it was a great role and thought it was outstanding, because I'm Chinese and it's Bruce Lee, but I'd be happy to play that role," he said.

Later, we asked Seth Rogen about approaching Chow, who answered, "It's a very intense action movie and the relationship between Green Hornet and Kato, a lot of comedy comes from that. At first actually, we weren't even sure going in we could be more of a Jet Li type guy who maybe isn't the funniest guy in the world, but he's physically very impressive, or whether it would be more of a Stephen Chow type guy who can do martial arts, but clearly has a sense of humor. In the version that we've made it seems like a Stephen Chow type guy would be more suitable for the role. Again, until they officially greenlight it, it's hard to make any of those decisions."

With Chow in it, this just moved from "Eh. I'll put it in my Netflix queue sometime" to "I'll probably see it in the theaters."

[Tripe]

Eh?

There's a Black Green Lantern, my favorite Green Lantern in fact.

Also Plastic Self Cleaning Duck can't be online today otherwise I'd have expected her's to be the first reply.

Interesting casting certainly but with it being Seth Rogan I'll be expecting Kato to be more like the one from the Pink Panthermovies than The Green Hornet.

[a pretty girl is like]

This makes me wonder just how slapsticky this will end up being.  I like Steven Chow fine and all but he likes to use the cgi wire kung fu too much for my taste.  He can go a bit overboard at times.

[RoninFox]

Wow, Stephen Chow is so perfectly cast I don't believe he's real, he must be CGI.

[Chaos]

Comic Book movies never work out when they're not done by the comic book company. Even then, Marvel can only get it right about a third of the time. I suspect that movies based on radio characters are probably going to be pretty much the same as comic book movies (i.e. Sony can't do them right!).

[mrbasehart]

I like Stephen Chow, but he can be a little *too* silly at times.  I'm hoping that in trying to appeal to western sensibilities, he can reign it in a bit.  He should be perfect for the role of the sidekick, though.

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

Also Plastic Self Cleaning Duck can't be online today otherwise I'd have expected her's to be the first reply.

I'm trying very, very, very hard to pretend this doesn't exist. 

[Tripe]

Also Plastic Self Cleaning Duck can't be online today otherwise I'd have expected her's to be the first reply.

I'm trying very, very, very hard to pretend this doesn't exist. 

And that's what IO expected the first reply to be 

[torgosPizza]

There's a Black Green Lantern, my favorite Green Lantern in fact.

Green Lantern != Green Hornet

[Tripe]

Hence my "eh?"

It was a response to a post by Imrahil about a black Green Hornet that apparently has subsequently disappeared.

Now, if I had the ability to remove my posts restored, I could remove the now inexplicable response post

[Doctor Who?]

So I wait all these years for a GH Movie and they turn it into slapstick?!

Doctor Who Smash!

[Plastic Self-Cleaning Duck]

So I wait all these years for a GH Movie and they turn it into slapstick?!

Doctor Who Smash!

These are probably the same people who look down their noses at the Adam West "Batman" for being comedic.

[mrbasehart]

Reviving this thread after some interesting news.  According to the imdb:

The Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry has stepped up to save The Green Hornet.  A month after Stephen Chow stepped down as the director of the comic book caper, starring Seth Rogen, Gondry has taken it on.  It is still not known if Chow will appear in the film - as Rogen's Hornet sidekick Kato.  Production will begin later this year.

Michel Gondry on a superhero movie? Count me in!

[GregMcduck]

This is such high-class development hell.

[Doctor Who?]

yeah I don't see this movie getting made,ever.