Green Hornet

[PHILBERT]

http://www.newsaskew.com/talkback/1077110023,26892,.shtml

This can't be real...

[norther practitioner]

*scratches head*

OK... I guess this should be interesting.

[PHILBERT]

That photo brought back memories. I remember when I first joined KFM 2 and a half years ago, I had no idea who the Gracies were, and someone posted that he would be Kato and someone said "Yeah, he's gonna have a hard time defeating his opponents when he realizes that they won't tap"

[PHILBERT]

Because people know Will Smith and Jim West. People don't know Rickson Gracie, or hell, a Gracie for that matter. Hell, most people don't even know what UFC, NHB, Pride, K-1 or whatever is. I talk to people and ask them stuff and they look at me like I am on crack when I mention Gracie in a sarcastic comment

Me: "Royce would choke him out."
Them: "What? Who?"

They'd want an actor who people can at least look at and say "Hey that's the dude from The Matrix Reloaded...Seraph, that's the dude from Blade II", etc.

[norther practitioner]

Me: "Royce would choke him out."

Just watch out mixing your online stuff with the real world, there have been a few people known to get good beatings when they did that.

[rubthebuddha]

any truth to the rickson/kato stuff, or is badger just talking out his pooper again?

[norther practitioner]

I'd like to see someone else, but thats all good.

[PHILBERT]

Talking out the pooper

[rubthebuddha]

well, badger, it is you doing the talking ... ;)

instead of rickson, let's go with sakuraba, if only for the silly stunt factor.

[Chang Style Novice]

I want you guys to think about the "action sequences" Kevin Smith has directed in the past, and then lower your expectations accordingly.

Lower...

Lower...

Lower...

Lower...

Keep going...

[rubthebuddha]

well, the scene in dogma in which jay was shooting ben affleckwas pretty fantastic.



but that's only because ben affleck was getting shot. :D

[GeneChing]

I loved dogma.

There was a rumor that Jackie was being considered Kato, but that was before I heard anything about Smith taking on the project. There was a very old rumor about Jet doing Kato too, but after Black Mask and his other western projects, that would be really surprising.

I would enjoy hearing more about this if anyone finds out more...:cool:

[Chang Style Novice]

Just a little bit lower than that...

Almost 1/3 of the way there now...

And lower...

[MasterKiller]

http://movies.yahoo.com/shop?d=hp&cf=prev&id=1808404280&intl=us

[Chang Style Novice]

I just thought of something - Kwoon is hitting DVD now. Sounds like the perfect bunch of guys for this project to me.

[norther practitioner]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
I just thought of something - Kwoon is hitting DVD now. Sounds like the perfect bunch of guys for this project to me.

LOL.. thats funny..

I take it your not a huge KS fan.

[FatherDog]

According to the View Askew message boards, Smith is trying to get Woo Ping in to help with fight choreography.

[Chang Style Novice]

"I'm not a huge Kevin Smith fan" is about as accurate a statement as "Yatta might possibly be a teensy bit gay."

And Yuen Woo-Ping notwithstanding, Smith would still have to shoot it with that dead, fishy eye of his. That waste of beergut should have ended his career with "Clerks" (which I admit I enjoyed on the level of 'lets-p!ss-and-moan-about-our-sh!tty jobs.)

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
"I'm not a huge Kevin Smith fan" is about as accurate a statement as "Yatta might possibly be a teensy bit gay."

And Yuen Woo-Ping notwithstanding, Smith would still have to shoot it with that dead, fishy eye of his. That waste of beergut should have ended his career with "Clerks" (which I admit I enjoyed on the level of 'lets-p!ss-and-moan-about-our-sh!tty jobs.) Clerks was funny because it was so low budget. Everything just seemed to work, even the bad acting. Smith has yet to make a good movie, though.

Here is tip number 1 for him: hire a screen writer.

His dialogue is pedantic and pandering.

[Chang Style Novice]

As awful as his dialog is, film is still mostly a visual medium, and there has never been a single memorable frame in any Kevin Smith film. The guy is just 0 for however many when it comes to talents neccesary for fimmaking. His career is the greatest mystery since "Can I borrow a dollar?"

[Vash]

His movies just plain suxors.

I liked Dogma the first time I saw it, but the second . . . worse than Jaws: The Return.

If he does make it, I'll avoid it like it was a Kevin Smith movie.

[dodger87]

Donnie Yen wouldn't be bad for kato.

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by Chang Style Novice
As awful as his dialog is, film is still mostly a visual medium, and there has never been a single memorable frame in any Kevin Smith film. While film is no doubt visual, bad dialogue will ruin it quicker for me than bad visuals. I can watch Glen Gary/Glen Ross 20 times a month and not get sick of it, and it is pure dialogue (because it was a play originally).

Of course, my wife doesn't seem to share my affection for this movie....or Moonstruck....or Radio Days....or Edward Scissorhands....

[FatherDog]

Personally, I like Smith's dialogue. Which is why I consider him a good writer, but a poor director.

His writing work on Daredevil and The Green Arrow was well received, although I haven't read it. So there's evidence he can write superheroes well.

[rubthebuddha]

gotta admit that i liked each of his movies the first time i saw them. not on any level of depth, mind you, because they had no depth. all his movies are little more than 90 minutes of commentary on any simple social aspect. clerks? ****ty jobs and the effect of a ****ty job on life. compare dante and <insert name of video store guy here>. both had low-brow jobs, but the video store guy at least made his enjoyable ("hermaphroditic sex: chicks with ****s that put mine to shame."). mallrats? the shallowness of relationships. chasing amy? same. dogma? the same faith issues we all go through. except we don't get to see chris rock fall out of the sky in our lives.

the movies are all about common human experiences, just trumped up and crudely (but funnily) presented. it's on the same level as seinfeld -- humorous, no depth, lots of whining and an attempt to relate to the most people through the lowest common denominator of circumstances.

except kevin smith movies are bearable. i ****ing hate seinfeld -- nothing but 22 minutes of pedantic, nasal whining welcomely broken up by mildly less-pedantic commercials.

[MasterKiller]

Originally posted by rubthebuddha
except kevin smith movies are bearable. i ****ing hate seinfeld -- nothing but 22 minutes of pedantic, nasal whining welcomely broken up by mildly less-pedantic commercials. These pretzels are making me thirsty.

[GeneChing]

They should play Kato and the Green Hornet. I'd watch that.

It would be tough to step into the Kato role, considering the shoes that would have to be filled. I like Ray Parks, but Kato should really be asian. There are so few asian roles around anymore - and admitedly Kato is a bit stereotypical, but still, if it was good enough for Bruce...
There was also a rumor floating around that Steve Martin and jackie Chan would reprise the Pink Panther with Jackie as that Kato. That would be really ironic if Jet wound up in the Green Hornet Kato at the same time....

[PHILBERT]

Video store clerk guy was Randall.

And yes, Smith's movies are very crude and nasty, yet funny on an immature level, plus I love his references in later movies. Did you know the character who played Dante Hicks was in every movie, playing someone else? In Mallrats, he was the 3rd contestant on the gameshow at the end, plus he was in Chasing Amy and Dogma as someone else (all with the last name Hicks, so its like cousin, father, brother, etc). Then in Jay and Silent Bob he played Dante again.

I personally love the pleasing oneself with oral sex part in Clerks.

[rubthebuddha]

MK -- you will fear the stinkpalm (which was originally discovered in china as a dim mak attack meant to injure an opponent several hours later when they least expected it.

mmmm, pretzels. :D

[Kristoffer]

Smith's work on Daredevil was awsome. That book havn't been so good since Frank Millar had his way. So Smith does some things right. His low budget movies are fun but to call em good movies is a stretch. I really like Dogma though.

[Vash]

I loved his Daredevil stuff. His first few issues, though, seemed kinda like they were a rough draft.

His Green Arrow run was good.

[Kristoffer]

Green Arrow seems like a really lame character :)

[Vash]

Oh, he is. It just didn't suck all that hard when KS was on it.

[Kristoffer]

k, was it 'dark' like in DD? (I know **** about GA)

[dimmakseminar]

Dear Fans of the Martial Arts Genre:

Kevin Smith will certainly do this film justice! Just look at the seminal fight scene in "Jay and Silent Bob Strike Back", whereby Mark Hamill (performing the role of C**k-knocker) proceeds to grasp a staff (or was it a light saber?) and put Jay and Silent Bob in their place, momentarily, until Silent Bob breathes in the magic and all-powerful light saber emissions to beat down the former Star Wars star! This might be the best fight scene choreography in the whole movie! I am not certain that Yuen Wo Ping or any of his 11 siblings could have done any better with this script!

Fear not, our movie will be in great hands! I would also like to nominate Steven Hayes for the role of Kato, as no one would know what hit them!

Cinematically yours,

dimmakseminar

[Kristoffer]

if Smith is doin this movie...... then what roles will Matt Damon and Bennifer play? Seriously :D

[Silent Assassin]

Who will play Kato in the Green Hornet remake?

just a rumor for now, but stranger things had happened.
http://www.superherohype.com/news/topnews.php?id=6038

[jethro]

The idea of him playing Kato does sound like it could be another Stephen Chow classic.

[SPJ]

Stephen has his own style of being a Kung Fu comedian.

He wanted to learn Kung Fu as bruce lee inspired him on the big screen. But he never did. so he has to rely on the special effect of the movies to help him realizing the dream on the big screen.

He would fail miserably if he plays any serious role.

I was always ready to laugh at any move or talk from him in all of his movies.

the audience was never very serious about him.

--

:D

[NJM]

/palmface


I really don't think this is a good idea.

[X_plosion]

I wonder what would have happened if the deal for Rickson Gracie to play Kato had pushed through.

[jethro]

SPJ, did you hear somewhere that this will be a serious role playing Kato? I don't know if that would work. I have seen abotu 25 Stephen Chow movies, and only a few suck. I look forward to any new comedy movie he is in. It takes a lot to get a laugh out of me, but Chow does it consistantly in every movie I see him in.

[@PLUGO]

Considering who's rumored to play THE GREEN HORNET (http://pwbeat.publishersweekly.com/blog/2007/07/23/chubby-comic-set-to-play-green-hornet/). I don't think the film will be of a serious tone.

[Errant108]

He wanted to learn Kung Fu as bruce lee inspired him on the big screen. But he never did. so he has to rely on the special effect of the movies to help him realizing the dream on the big screen.

He would fail miserably if he plays any serious role.

I was always ready to laugh at any move or talk from him in all of his movies.

the audience was never very serious about him.

--

:D

I seem to recall an interview with Stephen where he discussed his Wing Chun training. I think he had pictures with his teacher.

[SPJ]

I seem to recall an interview with Stephen where he discussed his Wing Chun training. I think he had pictures with his teacher.

I think you are correct. I also remember reading about this. I will try to search.

:)

[SPJ]

SPJ, did you hear somewhere that this will be a serious role playing Kato? I don't know if that would work. I have seen abotu 25 Stephen Chow movies, and only a few suck. I look forward to any new comedy movie he is in. It takes a lot to get a laugh out of me, but Chow does it consistantly in every movie I see him in.

I am also a big fan.

I like the movie that he played as an agent 008.

Well there are several.

One was taking place as an agent for the Ming emperor. This one was all right.

In another film, he was a butcher for pork in the market.--

Ya. He has so many films over the years.

--

My favorite one would be the one that he played as the beggar king Su Qi Er. He was weak or beaten down. He slept a lot. He practiced sleeping Luohan fist in his dream. It was just hilarious.

--

:D;)

[SPJ]

I would really like to see "green hornet" on the big screen.

I vividly remembered that I had to wait 30 min for the first episode to air on TV in Taiwan in the 60's. I was only like the first grade.

--

:)

[doug maverick]

as far as i know stephen chow has trained in wing chun but i don't remember the teacher.

[jethro]

I think you are talking about King of Beggars SPJ. I thought it was just average but I did like the sleeping style. Shaolin Soccer is my favorite and Fight Back to School 1 and 2 are also quite good.

[SPJ]

Yes. Shaolin soccer really propelled him internationally or at least in south and north east asia.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xd_VDO2uj5g


:cool:

[doug maverick]

this film has been floating around for a while. i never sat and watched it but i did just a while ago and if they don't get at least the director of photography for this film its gonna suck. this film was shot so interesting. check it out guys:http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O6baKbRQrt4

[GeneChing]

I can hear flight of the bumblebee now...

Stephen Chow to Direct and Star in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet (http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/stephen-chow-direct-star-columbia/story.aspx?guid=&#37;7B487179DB-4AF1-4F43-8E6C-4A63D9FAF18D%7D&dist=hppr)
Helmer Takes On Role of Kato; Feature Film Set for Release June 25, 2010
Last update: 4:24 p.m. EDT Sept. 19, 2008

CULVER CITY, Calif., Sept 19, 2008 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- 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(R) 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."

Stephen Chow, Asia's number one comedy star and one of the region's most beloved entertainers, has directed five feature films, most recently CJ7.

His previous feature Kung Fu Hustle was the third highest grossing film in Hong Kong history after Titanic and Jurassic Park. Chow made his directorial debut with God of Cookery in 1996, followed by King of Comedy in 1999, both of which he also wrote and starred in. In 2001 Chow directed, wrote, and starred in Shaolin Soccer, the fourth-highest grossing film of all time at the Hong Kong box office, which also broke box office records across Asia. Shaolin Soccer went on to win seven major awards at the Hong Kong Film Awards, including Best Actor, Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actor, Best Sound Design and Best Visual Effects.

A native of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow was one of three children in what he describes as a "very poor family." He grew up as a Bruce Lee fan and a martial arts fanatic, but he remembers that as a child his own kung fu training had to stop after six weeks when his family could no longer afford lessons. Chow started his entertainment career as the host of a TV children's show, "430 Space Shuttle." He quickly made a name for himself with his witty style, but it was not until 1988 that he began acting in films.

In 1989, in the movie Final Justice, he played a supporting role, which won him the best supporting actor award at the Taiwan Golden Horse Awards and established him in the Hong Kong film world. The key turning point in his career came only a year later, when he had his first starring role in the 1990 Chow Yun-Fat spoof All for the Winner. In this movie, Chow's unique and hilarious onscreen persona -- playing his first in a series of lovable underdogs -- made him an overnight sensation in Hong Kong and throughout Asia. Asian film observers also say that in that film Chow gave birth to the "Mo Lei Tau" ("nonsense") comedy style, now considered a fully established genre of Hong Kong comedy.

Since All for the Winner, Chow has gradually but firmly established himself as Hong Kong's comedy king. Among his 50 some movies, Justice My Foot won him the best actor award at the 1992 Asian Pacific Film Awards, and A Chinese Odyssey won him the best actor award at the 1996 Hong Kong Critics Society Awards as well as at the Hong Kong Golden Bauhinia Film Awards.

Stephen Chow's Star Overseas recently formed a new multi-feature collaboration with Columbia Pictures Film Production Asia, under which Sony Pictures Releasing International will distribute the features produced by Star Overseas worldwide.

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

Chow is represented by Creative Artists Agency and attorney Alan Grodin of Weissman Wolff Bergman Coleman Grodin & Evall LLP.

About Columbia Pictures
Columbia Pictures, part of the Columbia TriStar Motion Picture Group, is a Sony Pictures Entertainment company. Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE's global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

[doug maverick]

yeah i heard about this quite a few months back. i think seth rogen is writing the script and playing brett. if i'm not mistaking. glad its confirmed now i can talk about it YAY.

[Zenshiite]

I was skeptical until I read that Rogen is in training to play Britt Reid. Not sure how far that guy can go in training for the role, but it at least gives me hope. At least he's not apparently going for turning GH into his typical slacker character.

[Jimbo]

I would really like to see "green hornet" on the big screen.

I vividly remembered that I had to wait 30 min for the first episode to air on TV in Taiwan in the 60's. I was only like the first grade.

--

:)

I also remember the original Green Hornet on TV when I was 4, watching with my older brother and sister. That would be in 1967, I think the year it eventually got canceled. I remembered Kato, but at the time I just thought the show was a similar but inferior show to the Batman series.

As for Stephen Chow playing Kato, I guess we'll have to wait and see. The problem with bringing Asian stars into American films is that mostly they lose the personality that made them special overseas. But seeing that Chow will be directing, this could be an exception!

[GreenCloudCLF]

Looks like he may be taking over the reigns as director as well.

[Zenshiite]

I also remember the original Green Hornet on TV when I was 4, watching with my older brother and sister. That would be in 1967, I think the year it eventually got canceled. I remembered Kato, but at the time I just thought the show was a similar but inferior show to the Batman series.

As for Stephen Chow playing Kato, I guess we'll have to wait and see. The problem with bringing Asian stars into American films is that mostly they lose the personality that made them special overseas. But seeing that Chow will be directing, this could be an exception!

I've seen lots of the old Batman tv series, and I've seen lots of the Green Hornet(than you IFC) in the recent past. I think Green Hornet was superior if only for it's serious tone. The same folks made both shows, but Green Hornet is better just because of the seriousness of it. It's just not as iconic.

[GeneChing]

advice from stephen chow (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IHdTLEGoKm4&feature=related)

[doug maverick]

that was funny as hell, gene. and yes the web can be a dangerous place.lol

[Jimbo]

I've seen lots of the old Batman tv series, and I've seen lots of the Green Hornet(than you IFC) in the recent past. I think Green Hornet was superior if only for it's serious tone. The same folks made both shows, but Green Hornet is better just because of the seriousness of it. It's just not as iconic.

Well, being so young, I think I liked Batman better because I kinda liked Batgirl. Almost as much as the girls of Petticoat Junction. :) I think now I'd like GH better. Several years ago I saw a screening of an episode where Bruce Lee fought Mako (but it looked like Mako was doubled by Dan Inosanto). I think the episode was titled, "Praying Mantis".

[GeneChing]

That bums me out. Chow's direction would have put this over the top.

Hornet Hustle (http://radaronline.com/exclusives/2008/12/hornet-hustle.php)

Stephen Chow, the Kung Fu Hustle director who was set to helm the superhero flick The Green Hornet has bagged the gig. The martial arts star will still play the kung fu fighting sidekick Kato.

No word on why he dropped out, this is comedic approach to film may have something to do with it.

The hunt is on for someone who has action chops to direct the film, which is supposed to shoot in a few months.

Seth Rogen stars as the newspaper publisher-turned-crimefighter who prowls the streets in his rolling arsenal the Black Beauty.
12/19/08 9:08 AM

[doug maverick]

maybe stephen wanted to take a more comedic aproach to it and i remember seth saying that his script was not a comedy.

[SimonM]

Yeah, Chow's previous films have all been REALLY slapstick.

And I've seen more Chow films than most, my wife lovest the guy. :p

Seriously I can't picture him doing a serious action film.

[GeneChing]

Chan did a serious pic with almost no martial arts. It's a waste of material frankly. Rogen and Chow doing a serious version of Green Hornet? That seems like a waste too.

Here's another report from a more reliable source.


Chow no longer to direct 'Hornet' (http://www.variety.com/article/VR1117997630.html?categoryid=13&cs=1)
Actor will still play Kato in Columbia film
By MICHAEL FLEMING

'The Green Hornet,' which Columbia is adapting for the bigscreen, began as a radio show in the 1930s but is best known for the 1960s TV version, above.

There's been another change in the "Hornet" nest: Stephen Chow has dropped out as director of "The Green Hornet" but will still play Kato in Columbia Pictures' latest bid to get the crimefighter to the bigscreen.

The studio and producer Neal Moritz are in the process of setting a new director to keep the picture on track to begin production by spring.

The character began on radio in the 1930s and is best known from the '60s TV version. But a bigscreen translation is having a long gestation, going through many incarnations, including as a proposed George Clooney vehicle.

Chow, who directed and starred in "Kung Fu Hustle" and "Shaolin Soccer," signed in September to direct the film and play the role originated in the TV series by Bruce Lee. He stepped out as director over creative differences.

The film was scripted by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, and Rogen is starring as the masked crime fighter. The script will likely be polished, and a director could be in place by year's end.

[Zenshiite]

Clooney actually could've been a better Hornet than he was a Batman.

[doug maverick]

i agree, matter of fct clooney could have made a better batman if the material was taken more seriously instead it was turned into a campy comedy f uckin shumacher. but putting two comedian actors in a supposedly series super hero movie, doesnt sound like that bad of an idea. but i doubt seth rogen has the range.we shall see.

[Zenshiite]

Well. Clooney said he played Batman as if he was gay... so he was probably part of the problem with that movie. He'd be a more 40s or 50s style Batman at any rate, I can't see Clooney as the Batman of the 70s to now. He'd have to play him even seriously as a sort of stand-up guy rather than a total traumatized possibly insane dude dressing up like a bat to scare the bejezus out of thugs and then beat them senseless because he's almost a psychopath himself.

Which is why the Green Hornet is kind of the perfect role for him. We'll see how Rogen does. I saw pictures of him slimming down and getting in shape, so I'm curious to see him in the role.

[SimonM]

I think that's why Bale did good as Batman. We all know he does psycho well...

American Psycho
Equilibrium
The Machinist

[doug maverick]

Chow No Longer Kato In "Hornet"?
By Garth FranklinWednesday, December 24th 2008 8:11am
image Not only will he no longer direct Sony's "The Green Hornet", it looks like Stephen Chow may no longer act in it either.

Last week Chow dropped out as helmer on the Seth Rogen-led project which had the "Knocked Up" actor as the masked vigilante and filmmaker Chow ("Kung Fu Hustle") as his sidekick Kato.

"If I direct 'The Green Hornet,' the superhero comedy will have to be delayed for two years. The timing might not be right for a superhero comedy in two years. And I want to make a movie based on an original idea" said Chow to The Associated Press this week.

Chow now adds that he may not have time to star as Kato, the character made famous by Bruce Lee, as he wants to free up time to work with Jack Black on a comedy about a different superhero. Whether he will stay involved depends on his schedule.http://www.darkhorizons.com/news08/081224b.php

so i wonder who seth rogen is going to get to replace him if he really is out bound.who would you guys like to see take up the role? i have a thought, what about jacky wu-jing? i mean he's no comedian but the guy can bring the pain, in terms of action plus he looks "young" enough to play seth's driver/side kick(i say looks because wu jing is actually 8 years older then seth rogen. which shouldnt matter considering chow is 20 years rogens senior and can be the dudes father)another choice would be........ you tell me.

[doug maverick]

more news this one comes from comicmix.com
\\
Depending on which report you read, Stephen Chow is Kato but will not direct The Green Hornet. Maybe the Shaolin Soccer star will direct but not act in the Sony film, starring Seth Rogen. He may exit altogether, leaving the June 25, 2010 release without a director or co-star with production set to begin in the spring.

Moviehole was among the first to report that Chow is considering not playing Kato. “He's blaming it on scheduling (saying he wants to film some Jack Black-Superhero film) - but that sounds like a tug,” they note.

An Associated Press story confirms that report, quoting Chow as saying, "If I direct The Green Hornet, the superhero comedy will have to be delayed for two years. The timing might not be right for a superhero comedy in two years. And I want to make a movie based on an original idea."

Stay tuned for post-holiday developments

and here is yet more this time from cinemetical.com

Stephen Chow Skipping Out On Kato?

by Elisabeth Rappe Dec 24th 2008 // 11:02AM

Filed under: Action, Thrillers, Casting, Mystery & Suspense, Sony, RumorMonger, Celebrities and Controversy, Newsstand, Remakes and Sequels
I have the sneaking suspicion that Seth Rogen's The Green Hornet remake may go the way of its failed predecessors. Over the weekend, Monika reported that Stephen Chow was no longer directing the film -- now comes the news that Chow may not remain as Kato, either.

Chow told the AP that he had abandoned directing the film in order to make a superhero comedy starring Jack Black. "If I direct The Green Hornet, the superhero comedy will have to be delayed for two years," Chow said. "The timing might not be right for a superhero comedy in two years. And I want to make a movie based on an original idea."

Presumably, directing Black might also interfere with his Kato-playing duties -- something Chow confirms by saying that continuing in the role depends on his schedule. If you're a conspiracy theorist, you can speculate away about whether Chow's really passionate about Black and original superhero comedy, or whether it's those vague "creative differences" reported earlier.

Judging from the comments, Rogen's Hornet isn't too popular anyway. I was unsure about the comedic angle the project was taking, but Chow's casting was something to hang your hopes on, particularly if they reined in his slapstick style. But maybe that's precisely what the "differences" are. Maybe they just need to quit forcing this one, and let the Hornet sit for the unforeseeable future?

[GeneChing]

I think it's all about Chow dropping out. He would have made this flick rock.

Saturday, Jan 24, 2009

Has Rogen's 'Green Hornet' Been Defeated? (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-motion-captured/posts/2009-1-24-has-rogen-s-green-hornet-been-defeated)

There are certain film projects that seem to pick up a curse as they wind their way through development, perpetually threatening to get made but never actually ending up in front of the camera. Right now, it looks like "The Green Hornet" is about to collapse again, and if this particular configuration doesn't happen, then I suspect it never will.

Ever since Stephen Chow started to waffle about his participation in the film, I've been hearing rumors that there were major hesitations at Sony. Then at Sundance, I heard several people say that the film was off completely. I spoke this afternoon with a source close to the film, and while they didn't call it completely dead, they did say it is "highly unlikely" that the film will shoot in 2009 at all.

That's a shame. I'm not going to pretend to have some lifelong passion for the character or the property... I doubt anyone my age is genuinely nostalgic about "The Green Hornet," since it's really a relic of an earlier age. The TV show was in the '60s, and the radio show predates that. But I am aware of the property, and Bruce Lee playing Kato means that there's some historic relevance that they can play off of. I liked the idea of Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg revitalizing the material, and when they were talking about Chow as director and co-star, it seemed like a can't-miss proposition. Seth even trained for the movie, and if you've seen him in the last few months, you probably noticed how much leaner Seth was looking.

I'll continue to look into this, but for now, it looks like "The Green Hornet" has gone onto life-support at Sony, with a good chance the studio's going to kick the plug out any moment now.

[BoulderDawg]

I believe "Green Hornet" done correctly would be a good movie.

However I think Chow might be a little old for the role of Kato.

[doug maverick]

doesnt matter considering he droped the role. but i agree chow could be rogens dad, **** even wu jing is way older then him.

[doug maverick]

according to aintitcoolnews.com, kungfucinema and chows own company. chow is still on board as kato and the film is still in the green.



Moriarty's Sundance Pillow Talk Wrong... Stephen Chow is still on GREEN HORNET & it ain't dead yet!

Hey folks, Harry here... There's a strange world that occurs up in the frozen wilds of Sundance. Amid all the black leather and Blackberries - the very non-LA weather creates a crotchety ***** fest, where rumors start spiraling like snowflakes in the air. The big one this year was that GREEN HORNET was swatted.

My sources around Stephen Chow say, not so fast Moriarty! Sure, the evil professor may have a new assumed identity, but he's still out to thwart Good and the powers of truth and justice... even under his new alias of Drew McWeeny.

It seems Stephen Chow is still attached and moving forward on GREEN HORNET. Meanwhile, long time Asian Film site, MonkeyPeaches which has provided AICN with an awesome array of Asian Film scoops in the past is reporting that Stephen Chow's next foreign film is called JOURNEY TO THE WEST!

How do you respond... Mo... I mean, DREW MCWEENY? IF THAT'S YOUR NAME?!?!? Will you be man enough to admit how you're just an evil doddering ol frigid fool for listening to the Sundance *****ing? Hmmm? I will be watching to see if you do any significant follow up!

[GeneChing]

It's a Harry vs. Drew flame war.

Tuesday, Jan 27, 2009
Seth Rogen Says 'Hornet' Still Has Wings (http://www.hitfix.com/blogs/2008-12-6-motion-captured/posts/2009-1-27-seth-rogen-says-hornet-still-has-wings)
Posted by Drew McWeeny

Seth Rogen, preparing to lay down some kung-fu pain on Drew McWeeny

Over the weekend, I ran an article in which I talked about the plug possibly being pulled on the upcoming "The Green Hornet," written by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg. I had sourced the article from several directions, but there was one person I hadn't spoken to when I published, and that was Seth Rogen.

Let's just say he wasn't pleased. And he has a very different take on things.

"'The Green Hornet' has many people working for it, including production designers, costume designers and many conceptual artists, office staff, etc.," he said during our e-mail exchange back and forth. "[The studio heads] have every intention on making it, and assuming we're able to hire a new director in the upcoming weeks, which seems like a distinct possibilty, it should still hit the release date."

I've known Seth for a while now, and I always feel awkward approaching people over bad news. Even with three separate sources all associated with Sony or the production confirming the news, Seth is a producer on this, a co-writer, and the lead actor. His point of view certainly belonged in an article about the status of the film.

And Rogen's right to be protective of what's happening in the development phase right now. This is not the moment to be reading that your job is ending, especially if you're hearing differently from your employer, and I hate thinking about all the production staff spending the weekend worried about their paychecks because of something I wrote.

Over at Ain't It Cool, Harry's itching for a fight with me, and he published a report that Stephen Chow is still involved with the film. Now, according to Seth, they're looking for a director, so I guess Chow really is just playing Kato. I'm eager to hear how that works out, and I hope that as this one moves forward, we're able to bring you reports on how it comes together.

Look, I sincerely hope I was misinformed by my initial sources on this. I think everything I've heard about Seth and Evan's take sounds cool, and anything that brings Stephen Chow to the mainstream is great news in my book. Fingers crossed we see this one onscreen and on time.

[GeneChing]

still up in the air...

Michel Gondry steps in for 'Green Hornet' (http://www.hollywoodreporter.com/hr/content_display/film/news/e3ieda4f2f47125746d8ad355ddbf4e7515)
Stephen Chow still set to play Kato in Seth Rogen starrer
By Borys Kit

Michel Gondry is in negotiations to direct "The Green Hornet," Columbia's big-screen treatment of the classic crime-fighting hero being portrayed by Seth Rogen.

Stephen Chow had been tapped to direct but dropped out over creative differences. He is still expected to co-star as Kato, the Hornet's trusty sidekick and chauffeur.

Since Chow's departure, the project has been the subject of speculation that it was sliding into development hell, but the studio is intent on making the feature one of its 2010 tentpoles.

The choice of Gondry, the helmer behind off-the-beaten-path films such as "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind," "The Science of Sleep" and "Be Kind Rewind," signals that the creative direction the studio and the film's producer, Neal Moritz, are trying to take the project is one not usually associated with the usual crime-fighter movie.

"Hornet" follows the adventures of Britt Reid, a bored playboy who inherits his father's crusading newspaper, the Daily Sentinel. By night he is a masked hero, fighting crime with his sidekick Kato, who has incredible martial arts skills.

Rogen and his writer partner Evan Goldberg joined the project in July 20, 2007, as writers and co-exec producers.

Gondry is repped by CAA.

[Shaolinlueb]

this movie can be awesome.

[GeneChing]

Yet another rumor from another film buzz site.

Stephen Chow Is Not Green Hornet's Kato (http://www.cinemablend.com/new/Stephen-Chow-Is-Not-Green-Hornet-s-Kato-12381.html)
By Katey Rich: 2009-03-16 20:37:56

Stephen Chow Is Not Green Hornet's Kato We caught up with Seth Rogen tonight on the red carpet for the SXSW premiere of Observe and Report, and he gave us a hint about who might be playing Kato to his Green Hornet in the upcoming movie. Namely, it's probably not Stephen Chow. He told us: "We have no 100% official Kato at this point."

Chow has been officially replaced as director of the film, with Michel Gondry stepping in instead, but last we heard he was planning to play Kato still. Does this mean that Chow is out for good, and Rogen is out looking for a replacement? And can we figure out how on earth he'll find anyone as good as Chow for the part? What ever's been going on with Stephen it sounds like his brief stint as the Green Hornet's sidekick is over, and they're looking for someone else. We'll find out who that new someone is, in the days to come.

[Shaolinlueb]

if they can't get chow, get wang (dennis dun) from big trouble in little china :o to play kato!

[SimonM]

It appears that my suggestion (Takeshi Kaneshiro) got ate by the server troubles.

So let me put him back on the table.

I think he would be a perfect Kato... and apparently he can speak at least some english.

[Shaolinlueb]

It appears that my suggestion (Takeshi Kaneshiro) got ate by the server troubles.

So let me put him back on the table.

I think he would be a perfect Kato... and apparently he can speak at least some english.

Takeshi Kaneshiro can speak english, mandarin, taiwanese, cantonese, and japanese if i am not mistaken, and does them all really well.

[doug maverick]

It appears that my suggestion (Takeshi Kaneshiro) got ate by the server troubles.

So let me put him back on the table.

I think he would be a perfect Kato... and apparently he can speak at least some english.

a japanese playing kato blasphemy......i bet money people will be ****ed until sombody smacks them with the fact that kato is japanese.lmfao

[GeneChing]

If Rogen is going to cast Kato soon, my guess is that he'd go with Harold or Hiro - Sulu or Bruce. The hottest lead Asian males now are John Cho and Masi Oka and they are both prime for the role in Hollywood's eyes.

[doug maverick]

i would go with jon cho.

[GeneChing]

Masi really walks the edge of being the next Gedde Watanabe. I like Masi, especially when he's the futuristic cool Hiro, all in black with the sword strapped over his back and no nerdy accent. But as Bruce and the regular Hiro, he tends to fall into the Asian nerd boy stereotype. Kato is rather delicate that way. He could easily degenerate into stereotype.

Cho has been hilarious as Harold and I'm really looking forward to him taking on Sulu (much more than seeing Wynona as Amanda :o).

[doug maverick]

yeah think they are going to go with someone the american audience knows already. a great pic would be donnie yen. but if you know donnie, you would know he wouldnt take that role. unless ofcourse they give him control of the action or something to that effect. but i like jon cho now that you mention it gene, he is around the same age as rogen.but im sure this is going to get some flack from the asian communities for having an asian chauffeur. people tend to make a row about things that dont need to be made. its like if you did driving miss daisy in this day and age. al sharpton would be out protesting and marching all over the place. hell he did that for the spike lee film bamboozled just because they showed some black face, and the fat **** didnt even know what the film was about. so we'll see....hope people just enjoy the fact that hollywood is putting an asian in a lead role in a film.

[BoulderDawg]

Your facts are a little mixed up concerning Bamboozled.

Al Sharpton was actually in the movie playing himself protesting a racist TV show. However the film itself was not particularily good.

As far as Driving Miss Daisy goes I don't know anyone who has a problem with it using today's standards. I thought it was a fairly good representation of how is was back them. The only thing that didn't ring true for me was that Miss Daisy was Jewish. She was also a former first lady of Georgia.........No way in hell would Georgia elect a Jewish governor especially 70-80 years ago.

Concerning Cato: Just my opinion is that no one over the age of 25 should even be considered.

[GeneChing]

Oh come on now. Burt Kwok took on the role when in his mid 30's. ;)

[doug maverick]

over the age of 25....thats kind of extreme. and also you were right i actually wasnt thinking about al sharpton but his name came to mind for some reason. and totally right about the georgia thing.

[GeneChing]

Kevin Smith's comic redux is casting Kato as female....very interesting...


Exclusive First Look: Alex Ross' Green Hornet #1 Cover (http://newsarama.com/comics/070906-GreenHornet01cvr.html)
By Matt Brady
posted: 06 July 2009 09:37 am ET

Courtesy of Dynamite Entertainment, we've got a look atAlex Ross' cover to The Green Hornet #1. The series opening arc will be written by Kevin Smith. Dynamite states:

Dynamite Entertainment is proud to unveil the World-Wide Premier of master painter and artist Alex Ross’ stunning vision of the Green Hornet! Set to grace the cover of Dynamite’s debut issue of the Kevin Smith written #1 issue of the Green Hornet, the Hornet is back and better than ever before! Check out www.dynamiteentertainment.com frequently for more information!



Alex Ross Makes Love To The Green Hornet Comic (http://www.bamkapow.com/alex-ross-makes-love-to-the-green-hornet-comic-3170-p.html)

Yeah let’s be real here. I’m in the dark when it comes to Green Hornet. Don’t know much of anything. I know that he has a side-kick, Kato. I know that Bruce Lee rocked it (I think, right?). And I know the dude likes the color green. And maybe hornets too. But I can’t even say that for certain.

But I can say unequivocally that I love me some Alex Ross. So with the earlier news that Kevin Smith will see his 2004 Green Hornet screenplay envisioned with panel borders, we can couple that with word that Alex Ross will be redesigning said hero as well as providing covers for the series.

Now you might have noticed that young Kato over there has grown some additional equipment in the general chesty area. We might also assume that he has lost a few jewels in the process, or maybe not, who knows till we read Kevin Smith’s comic. I can’t wait for the first traditionalist to pipe up with something to say about that. Seriously? Taking a kung fu action character and adding a level of hotness? In some kind of leather outfit? What the hell is there to complain about here?

Look at that! I don’t know if she’s going to kill me with those throwing star/hornet thingies but I cannot wait to find out. Yowza!

As for Mr. Hornet himself, I dig the mask. It’s a nice shape that improves upon the generic “cover up the eyes” mask that we’ve all known and seen a million times.

So does this mean that I’ll be buying the series? Quite possibly. With some swank covers by Ross and some wity dialogue from Smith I can say that I am very very intrigued.

[GeneChing]

20’s - early 40’s BoulderDawg... I could fit that....well, almost. :o

Kato Casting Call Kicks Chow To The Curb? (http://www.slashfilm.com/2009/07/11/kato-casting-call-kicks-chow-to-the-curb/)
Posted on Saturday, July 11th, 2009 by Brendon Connelly

It would appear from a freshly surfaced casting call that the role of Kato in Michel Gondry’s Green Hornet movie is currently vacant. After it was announced that Seth Rogen was to write, produce and star in a Hornet flick a heady ****tail of skepticism and intrigue flooded the web. Then, it was announced that Stephen Chow was going to both direct and co-star in the picture and the general level of enthusiasm went through the roof. After that, a nosedive as Chow left the director’s seat and while it seemed likely he’d also pass up on the acting position, nothing was made official and Rogen even intimated that Chow was just as likely to be his Kato as ever. This remained the case even after Gondry was announced as director.

That all changes now, however.

Here’s a short casting call for the part, as scooped by Spoiler TV:

[KATO] ALL ASIAN ETHNICITIES, Male, 20’s - early 40’s. Brit Reid’s manservant/chauffeur by day and Green Hornet’s martial arts-skilled sidekick by night. Actor doesn’t have to have Martial Arts experience.

We could chew that over all night, from the indifference to actual specific ethnicity through the vague age range requested to the lack of necessity for pre-formed Martial Arts skills. Be my guest.

I trust Gondry implicitly, and I think Rogen is a very dependable individual to have so closely attached to a project like this but, if the truth be told, I’m not reading much joy in the tea leaves for this one. Nothing seems to be going to plan. I’m hoping that some good, strong announcements come out of the Hornet camp soon and swing the focus back onto the great stuff this film has going for it.

I bet the casting of Tony Jaa would put a smile on plenty of faces… but should it? Perhaps Rogen and Gondry have more in store for Kato than acrobatics and balletic smackdowns. The kind of more Chow can do in his sleep.


July 13, 2009
Chow quits Green Hornet role (http://www.straitstimes.com/Breaking%2BNews/Lifestyle/Story/STIStory_402624.html)

BEIJING - HONG KONG comedian Stephen Chow has quit his planned role as Kato in the Hollywood film The Green Hornet, the movie version of the 1960s TV series that starred Bruce Lee, a newspaper reported Monday.

Chow was originally slated to direct the film and star alongside Seth Rogen, but dropped out as director in December so he could develop a superhero movie with Jack Black.

The Shaolin Soccer and Kung Fu Hustle star has decided not to act in the movie either, Hong Kong's Oriental Daily News reported Monday.

Sam Ngai, a spokesman for Chow's production company Star Overseas, declined comment and a Columbia Pictures spokesman didn't immediately respond to a reporter's e-mail.

Columbia Pictures said in February it was in talks with Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind French director Michel Gondry to replace Chow as director.

The original Green Hornet series, which debuted on radio in 1936, is about a newspaper publisher who moonlights as a masked crime-fighter along with his martial arts-expert sidekick.

In 1966, it was turned into an ABC television series starring Van Williams as the title character and Bruce Lee as Kato. It ran for one season. -- AP

[enoajnin]

It's all about Kato anyway. I found this on the i09 site which pulled it from the Asian newswires. So, it must be true, right. The interwebs never lie.


Asian news outlets are reporting that Korean actor Kwon Sang-woo is currently in talks to play the Green Hornet's hyper-competent sidekick, alongside a bumbling Seth Rogen. Kwon is known largely as a heartthrob in Korea, having starred in many a romantic soap opera, but he's also has a modest bit of on-screen martial arts experience, thanks to roles in the fantastical Volcano High and gangster-themed Once Upon a Time in High School.

[GeneChing]

...that's just a rumor at this point. I haven't found any online confirmations yet...

Has 'The Green Hornet' Found Its Kato In Kwon Sang-Woo? (http://splashpage.mtv.com/2009/07/29/has-the-green-hornet-found-its-kato-in-kwon-sang-woo/)
Posted 7/29/09 5:03 pm ET by Rick Marshall in News

After last weekend's flood of "Green Hornet" casting news and updates, could an announcement regarding the new Kato be next on the schedule?

According to The Korea Times, actor Kwon Sang-woo recently passed an English audition for the role of the title character's sidekick -- an audition that was attended by the film's star and writer Seth Rogen and director Michel Gondry. The report goes on to say that a final announcement regarding the role will be made within the next month.

While Kwon is an unknown property in the US, the actor has already established himself as a hot star in Korea. Prior to embarking on a career in acting, he was a successful model contracted to be the face (and abs) of various marketing campaigns.

If Kwon snags the part, he'll have some big shoes to fill after the departure of Stephen Chow, who left the project earlier this month. Chow was initially tagged to be both director and Rogen's co-star on the film, but stepped down from the director's chair late last year. He then left the film entirely a few weeks ago.

As the article points out, Kwon winning the role would make him the third Korean actor to co-star in a blockbuster action film this year. Lee Byung-hun will play Storm Shadow in the upcoming "G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra" movie, and fan-favorite actor Rain will play the role of Raizo in November's "Ninja Assassin."

"The Green Hornet" is currently scheduled to hit theaters July 9, 2010.

[mickey]

Greetings,

This might get to doug maverick. :)

My pick for Kato would be Michael Jai White. That would be SupermadCOOL

mickey

[doug maverick]

that actually would be hot...but a black guy named kato....wait..i know a black guy named kato...ok im in...lol. actually i think MJ white is getting ready to start work on black dynamite 2

[mickey]

doug maverick,

Please use your connections and make this happen!! STAT


mickey

[enoajnin]

Did I win? Did I post this info first for a change instead of last? Ha!




Sony Pictures tweeted that Taiwan musician-actor-filmmaker Jay Chou has been hired to replace Stephen Chow as Kato in Seth Rogen's upcoming The Green Hornet.

The 30-year-old pop star recently made the transition to movies and is reportedly a Bruce Lee fan; he has appeared in three Chinese-language movies.

Chow was initially signed to direct the movie and to play Kato, but dropped out.

Chou joins Nicolas Cage, Rogen and Cameron Diaz in the movie, which is to be directed by Michel Gondry, with a reported fall start date.

Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the script and Neal Moritz is producing through his Original Films. The movie is eyeing a July 2010 release.

The Green Hornet is based upon the 1960s television serial—which was itself based on 1940s radio serials—about a masked hero who fights crime.

As for the reported september start date for shooting, insiders know it starts in August. But don't tell anyone I said that.

[SPJ]

Jay Chou has his own star power.

he releases songs album every year.

he directed and made his own movies.

he has his own audience which is the younger generation.

he does not need to play kato or bruce lee.

which is from the 60s.

each star has to explore and go his own way.

if you are first starting out, yes, you would like play a prominent role of some one else and gain fame and acceptance or establish yourself by attracting the crowd.

Jay Chou or Steven Chow do not need to do that.

it is like drawing or adding feet to a snake.

totally NOT needed.

find or discover a brand new face or new people, and let him shape himself and start his new career.

--

:)

[GeneChing]

I find this really ironic. Stephan Chow: Jay Chou; Shaolin Soccer: (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=46486) Kung Fu Dunk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49939)

“THE GREEN HORNET™” GETS HIS KATO IN TAIWANESE SUPERSTAR JAY CHOU

CULVER CITY, Calif., August 7, 2009 – After a worldwide search, Jay Chou, the multi-hyphenate singer-actor and a star throughout Asia, has joined the cast of Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet in the iconic role of Kato, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures.

Michel Gondry, the film’s director, added, “Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog! When I filmed him next to Seth, they had such great chemistry, and I knew the movie will be great."

Chou said, “It’s an overwhelming experience to take on a role made famous by Bruce Lee. I won’t try to be Bruce Lee’s Kato – I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part. Of course, it’s a dream role, and I’m looking forward to the challenge.”

A classic character of film, television, radio, and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’ feature film The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. The film will be directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), based upon “The Green Hornet” radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious). The film is slated for release summer 2010.

A pop-star phenomenon throughout Asia, JAY CHOU brings unexpected gravity and depth to his acting roles. Born Chou Chieh-Lun in Taiwan, 1979, Chou began playing the piano at age four. His mother supported his musical gifts and he went on to master piano and cello. Music, songwriting, and basketball dominated his high school days, and he was first noticed in 1998 when a friend sang one of his pop compositions on a TV talent contest, accompanied by Jay on piano. Alfa Music launched Jay's career, first as a tunesmith and then as a singer. In 2000, his debut album "Jay" quickly propelled him to stardom with numerous hits. His unique musical style is a fresh-sounding fusion of eastern and western traditions featuring strong lyrics and a personal style of storytelling.

With his soulful voice and infectious tunes, his second album, "Fantasy," and seven subsequent albums, have continued to win legions of fans young and old throughout Asia. He has been the best-selling Mandarin artist in the world for the past nine years, with a busy performance schedule touring Asia and North America and numerous music industry awards.

Apart from many music videos, Jay began film acting in a starring role in Initial D (2005), a comedy-action hit in China. In 2006, he starred opposite Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li in Zhang Yimou’s The Curse of the Golden Flower. Since then, he starred in Kung Fu Dunk, and made his directorial debut and starred inSecret. He will next be seen in the Chinese film Ci Ling and in Yuen Woo-Ping’s True Legend.

About Sony Pictures Entertainment

Sony Pictures Entertainment (SPE) is a subsidiary of Sony Corporation of America (SCA), a subsidiary of Tokyo-based Sony Corporation. SPE’s global operations encompass motion picture production and distribution; television production and distribution; digital content creation and distribution; worldwide channel investments; home entertainment acquisition and distribution; operation of studio facilities; development of new entertainment products, services and technologies; and distribution of filmed entertainment in more than 100 countries. Sony Pictures Entertainment can be found on the World Wide Web at http://www.sonypictures.com.

[GeneChing]

This is so next year...


The Black Beauty Gets a Flat Tire: GREEN HORNET Pushed Back 5 Months (http://www.collider.com/2009/08/29/the-black-beauty-gets-a-flat-tire-green-hornet-pushed-back-5-months/) - Updated
by Jackson Bishop Posted:August 29th, 2009 at 5:27 pm

Anyone who’s followed the progress of the big screen adaption of pulp hero and cult icon, “The Green Hornet” knows that the property has been repeatedly beset by hurdles and setbacks, from Kevin Smith abandoning the project a few years ago, to the more recent departure of Stephen Chow, first from the director’s chair and finally from the role of driver/sidekick, Kato. Well word has it that the flick has yet again been delayed as its July 7, 2010 release date has been moved back five months to December 17, 2010. More after the jump:

Box Office Mojo is showing that the film has been pushed back, citing no reason for the delay. It is being inferred however, that more time is being scheduled for the flick’s post production period, even though principal photography has yet to begin. This move also conveniently distances “Green Hornet” from the Rob Rodriguez produced “Predators” reboot also due out that summer, as well as out from between a sandwich of Cameron Diaz and Nick Cage movies, both of whom also star in “Green Hornet”. Still not too sure about this movie, even with Michel Gondry at the helm. Seth Rogen is going to have to do a lot more than be thin to make this work out, we’ll see though. He could pull a Michael Keaton and surprise us all. As always, more info as we get it.

UPDATE: Drew at Hitfix has gotten an update directly from Seth Rogen about the date change. Here’s what Seth said:

“We’re both relieved and psyched about the change. It gives more time for post, which would have been immensely rushed if we were to come out in the summer. It also affords us more time to promote the film, (now we can go to Comic-Con with more than a car!) and ultimately is a great vote of confidence from the studio. We got the same date that movies like ‘I Am Legend’ and ‘Avatar’ are getting, so we’re thrilled to be there.”

[GeneChing]

'Tron Legacy' moves to de-rez 'Green Hornet' (http://blog.zap2it.com/frominsidethebox/2009/09/tron-legacy-moves-to-de-rez-green-hornet.html)
By Andy Grieser
September 4, 2009 5:59 AM

Is December becoming the new action-movie battleground?

Just two days ago, Seth Rogen's "The Green Hornet" was pushed back to Dec. 17. Now Disney's moving "Tron Legacy," sequel to 1982's "Tron," to the same weekend, according to Variety.

"Hornet" follows a 1960s television series, in which a masked millionaire fights crime with the help of his kung fu-master chauffeur.

"Tron Legacy," meanwhile, returns Jeff Bridges to the virtual world as programmer Flynn, who now must take on a younger CGI version of his cyber-self.
Check out our issue on the newsstands now, the Sep Oct 09 (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/magazine/article.php?article=830). In the Claw Marks section, Tiger Claw (http://www.tigerclaw.com/home.php)'s work with Tron is discussed.

[doug maverick]

man they havent even decided on what script they are going with, my desire to see this goes down every day.better have a kick ass trailer.

[@PLUGO]

The car looked cool on display at comic con this summer... but the handling looks a little rough (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DPush6CXsfs).

[enoajnin]

Things just keep getting better on the Green Hornet set. I guess they had a bit of a bomb scare.


The Green Hornet's latest problem: A bomb scare


We all know The Green Hornet has its issues, but this is ridiculous: There was an actual bomb scare on the L.A. set this week. What's next, an earthquake opens a fissure that swallows producer/star Seth Rogen whole?

According to a report on gossip site TMZ, someone found an unidentified metal object on the set yesterday, leading crew members to call in the bomb squad. The Los Angeles Police Department truck arrived to inspect the parking lot in L.A.'s Mid-Wilshire district, and, just to be on the safe side, the LAPD blew up the object with its remote-controlled bomb-handling robot.

As it turns out, the object wasn't a bomb. But the scare is only the latest on a list of troubles for the new incarnation of the superhero franchise: The production has been delayed, the release date was bumped, and Stephen Chow quit as director and later as the actor playing Kato. This after writers as diverse as Christopher McQuarrie and Kevin Smith tried and failed to adapt the material for film. Does it feel like someone doesn't want this movie to get made?

In the current version, Rogen plays Britt Reid, the newspaper entrepreneur by day and masked superhero by night. Jay Chou takes over the role of chauffeur/martial-arts expert Kato, Cameron Diaz is Lenore Case, and Inglourious Basterds' Christoph Waltz plays the villain, Chudnofsky. Rogen has described the script, which he wrote with partner Evan Goldberg, as the story of a hero and his sidekick. Michel Gondry directs.

The Green Hornet is due in theaters Dec. 17, 2010, barring any more unforeseen problems. As TMZ says, we hope it's not a bomb, either.
By Fred Topel

[Zenshiite]

Pix http://omg.yahoo.com/photos/seth-rogen-goes-green/3277#id=1

[GeneChing]

We're over a year out on this and Kato still isn't solid - note the cast...


THE GREEN HORNET
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
COLUMBIA PICTURES
Action

A classic character of film, television, radio, and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures’ feature film The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. The film will be directed by Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind) from a screenplay written by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), based upon “The Green Hornet” radio series created by George W. Trendle, and produced by Neal H. Moritz (The Fast and the Furious). The film is slated for release winter 2010.

Directed by:
Michel Gondry

Screenplay written by:
Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg

Based upon "The Green Hornet" radio series created by:
George W. Trendle

Produced by:
Neal H. Moritz

Executive Producers:
Michael GrilloSeth Rogen
Evan Goldberg
Ori Marmur
George W. Trendle, Jr.

Cast:
Seth Rogen

This film is not yet rated. Credits not final.

[Fa Xing]

We're over a year out on this and Kato still isn't solid - note the cast...

I think Seth Rogen is a horrible choice for Reed. Rick Reed is supposed to be sophisticated news reporter, not a fat, out of shape comedian with a superhero fantasy.

[TenTigers]

the trailer's out on aol. so it's probably out all over.
I was skeptical. I had heard rumors that they were going to have a female play Kato-FUKIN BLASPHEMEY!!! They should get Donnie Yen fer chrissakes! Then I heard Seth Rogan would play Green Hornet-what? A goofy GH? This is gonna suck!
But, when people said Michael Keaton couldn't play Batman, I reminded them of his role in "Pacific Heights," -he can get very dark. So, Seth ROgan? Why not?
Then I saw the trailer.
Ok, it's tongue in cheek. It's a comedy. But it works. Robert Downey is funny i n Iron Man, and that movie rocks. Kato is great-and a guy, and good Martial Arts scenes from what I can see.
And let's face it. for us Martial Artists, it's never been about The Green Hornet,
it's all about KATO.
So..I am psyched about this.
I hope they mention Gung-Fu alot....

[GeneChing]

Sure, make me do all the heavy lifting. :rolleyes:

The Green Hornet Trailer (2011) - Official HD (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jBgT-IPKWJ4)

In 3D no less! :cool:

[doug maverick]

saw it.one word-weak

[shaolin_allan]

I did a quick search through the forum and apologize if this topic has already been discussed, but did not see a related thread. Does anyone know what martial arts background Jay Chou has? Also wasn't Green Hornet originally supposed to get the axe and be redone? I figure since Jay Chou is already receiving slack for playing Bruce Lee's part it's probably true any actor would be getting hated on to play Kato in a new film based on the show.

[MartialDev]

If they really wanted to make a funny movie, they should have cast Stephen Chow as the Green Hornet and Seth Rogen as Kato. That I would pay to see.

[doug maverick]

you didnt search that hard: http://kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=47340 jay chou doesn't really have much of any experience.

[shaolin_allan]

I can see Jay playing Kato but I cannot see Seth Rogen pulling it off.

[doug maverick]

If they really wanted to make a funny movie, they should have cast Stephen Chow as the Green Hornet and Seth Rogen as Kato. That I would pay to see.

they did cast stephen chow, he left the project.

[SPJ]

kato is the sidekick.

they should let a new face to play it.

Jay Zhou, Jet Li --

they are all like "too big a star" to play it.

let me put it this way

Jay Zhou may produce a Chinese version of green hornet movie him self.

with some female characters leading roles, too.

---

[MartialDev]

they did cast stephen chow, he left the project.

They cast him as Kato, correct? Well Chow is not sidekick material. Seth Rogen, on the other hand, could pull a "Beverly Hills Ninja" in that role and everyone would love it. Everyone who matters, anyway. By which I mean myself.

[doug maverick]

They cast him as Kato, correct? Well Chow is not sidekick material. Seth Rogen, on the other hand, could pull a "Beverly Hills Ninja" in that role and everyone would love it. Everyone who matters, anyway. By which I mean myself.

actually they are playing it more like a partnership then hero sidekick. just watch the trailer....

its not about jay or jet being to big to play kato...its an iconic role and everyone person who ever called bruce lee a hero would want that role. also people movies are made on star power. seth eh...idk if he was the right choice but he was the co writer and producer, plus his movies have hit the billion dollar mark, so he can do what he wants. this is a great potential cross over jay. i think they picked him solely on the success of Rain.

[GeneChing]

The thing about the original Green Hornet TV show was that Bruce was Kato and it was all about Bruce. Whatever happened to the original TV Britt Reid? Who cares? But Bruce, the world knows Bruce. I can go to the mall right now and still buy a Bruce t-shirt. The original Green Hornet would have been lost to TV history had it not been for Bruce. It was intended to be an adult version of the Adam West Batman TV show, not as cartoonish and campy, more serious, but it failed in that attempt. All that really survived was Bruce as Kato.

So with that in mind, the comic schtick is fairly obvious. Make Britt a buffoon who thinks he's the hero ala the Pink Panther, and make Kato a the real ass kicker like Bruce. I could have totally seen Chow in that role, but that might have gone somewhere different as given this plot, Kato is sort of a straight man. Chou can do it with a little CGI enhancement, and given this is in 3D, they'll play the CGI card heavily for sure. Chou likes his CGI enhancement. Remember Kung Fu Dunk (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?t=49939)?

[GeneChing]

A friend just forwarded this to me.

Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Let's make use of this opportunity (http://www.lettersofnote.com/2010/08/lets-make-use-of-this-opportunity.html)
In November of 1966, ever the optimist, Bruce Lee wrote the following letter to one of his students, Taky Kimura. Early ratings for The Green Hornet - his first acting role in front of U.S. audiences - had proven to be disappointing, however Lee was well aware that the exposure from just a single season as Kato would suffice in his quest to bring his Jun Fan Gung Fu ('Bruce Lee's Kung Fu') schools to the masses. The next year, with the show cancelled but his star rising, Lee founded Jeet Kune Do ('Way of the Intercepting Fist').

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4135/4901008076_f4e5b15a3f_o.jpg
http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4078/4901008186_165fef7d66_o.jpg

[SPJ]

wow.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_Y_rLBIxOM&feature=related

jay chou or zhou jie lun is kato

:)

[EarthDragon]

what a way to make a classic cheesy. leave it to holly wood to come up with some orignal ideas..... ugggg

[mickey]

Greetings,

They showed so much that it looks like a fan film. I have no need to see it, now. My mind can fill in the rest.


mickey

[Syn7]

i suppose i shouldnt be suprised they wanna do a remake like they have for every other classic..... but seth rogan??? come on... dude is a fat pus$y.... green hornet should be a bad ass...

[EarthDragon]

I agree a fat jewish kid with frizzy hair is not the actor i pictured as the star of this flick, he must have a great agent to land this gig

[SPJ]

I like the scene of a flying cap for the bottle.

we used to hammer the metal cap/lid for a glass bottle into a very flat piece

to practice throwing them as a flying star or fei biao.

wow it just reminded of the years of the 1960s or kidhood

:)

[doug maverick]

this trailer actually makes me feel better about this film:

http://www.imdb.com/video/imdb/vi21600537/

[GeneChing]

Win a trip for two to the premiere!


THE GREEN HORNET SWEEPSTAKES
SWEEPSTAKES OVERVIEW Students from various martial arts dojos nationwide can submit a photo of their best Kato-style move & enter to win a trip for 2 to the premiere of the film. Users who upload a photo will also be featured in the Kato’s Moves photo gallery that can be shared on Facebook, Twitter and other social networks

HOSTING LOCATION: www.TheGreenHornetMovie.com

ELIGIBILITY:13+ years of age, 50 US states & DC

ENTRY PERIOD: December 3 –January 3

PRIZING: 1 -Grand Prize : A trip for two to the premiere of the film

MEDIA EXPOSURE: •Share functionality for sweepstakes on Facebook, Twitter, and Digg •Sweepstakes callout on official film website •Mention in Sony Spotlight email of sweepstakes program •Mailer & email blast via Martial Arts Industry Association to over 80,000 dojos nationwide

[GeneChing]

I was searching for something completely different but came up with this. It's old and most of us have seen it, but it does give one pause on the verge of Jay Chou taking over Kato next week.

Bruce Lee's Audition for Kato on Green Hornet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOUzvSWv71A)

[GeneChing]

Read Channeling Kato: Driving the GREEN HORNET's Black Beauty (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=940) by Donovan Rittenbach, just posted on our e-zine.

[doug maverick]

syfy channel is currently(today that is 1-11-11) showing a green hornet marathon(you can move this to the green hornet section if you want gene i just to make sure people saw it) the image is digitally remastered and looks amazing..

im probably the only person on the board who actually wants to see the movie this friday...looks like a really funny action comedy.

[GeneChing]

I'm going to a screener on Thursday, but won't have a review up until next week. I'm eager to see GH2010 too actually. It could suck. It could also be fairly entertaining. Hard to say based on the trailers so far. But you know me - any Hollywood release that has kung fu potential - I'm all over it.

I saw in S.F. Chron that the original film series from the 1940s has been re-released on DVD

New on DVD, Jan. 11 (http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2011/01/11/DD6P1H5SVR.DTL)
San Francisco Chronicle January 11, 2011 04:00 AM

Feature: "Dances With Wolves: Twentieth Anniversary Edition" (1990), "Four Film Favorites: Epic Romances" (various dates), "Four Film Favorites: Michael Douglas" (various dates), "The Freebie" (2010), "The Green Hornet: Movie Edition" (1940), "The Green Hornet: Seventy-fifth Anniversary Original Serial Collector's Set" (1935), "Heartbreaker" (2010), "How to Get Ahead in Advertising" (1989), "The John Wayne Collection" (various dates), "Long Ride from Hell" (1970), "Love Hurts" (2009), "Once Upon a Time in America" (1984), "Piranha" (2010), "Shake Hands with the Devil" (2007), "The Social Network" (2010), "The Three Stooges: Collector's Edition" (various dates), "Wayne's World/Wayne's World Two" (1992, '93), "WWII Original Movie Classics: Box Two" (various dates).


I did a search and found them here - GREEN HORNET (http://serial-bowl.com/green_hornet.html) & GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN (http://serial-bowl.com/green_hornet_strikes.html) - looks like they've been available for some time.

[GeneChing]

click for vid

Ministry of Gossip
The gospel on celebrity and pop culture
'The Green Hornet': Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou at the premiere (http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/gossip/2011/01/green-hornet-seth-rogen-cameron-diaz-jay-chou-video.html)
January 11, 2011 | 11:44 am

Cameron Diaz is no stranger to butt-kicking -- she's played a sassy action heroine numerous times in such films as "Charlie's Angels" and "Knight and Day." But even though her latest movie is an action comedy, "The Green Hornet" with Seth Rogen and Jay Chou, Diaz doesn't get to do any stunts this time around.

Green-hornet-pictures "I didn't really get to do anything in this movie. They did it all," Diaz said at the film's premiere in Hollywood on Monday night, referring to her costars Seth Rogen and Jay Chou. "I went away to make 'Knight and Day' and I came back and they had made an action movie. And I had no idea."

Diaz, by her own admission, knew little about the past incarnations of "The Green Hornet," which began as a radio serial and later became a television show.

"I never really watched it, and they told me, 'Don't. Don't worry about it. We're going to be writing our own -- this is it's own thing. We're creating our own version of it," Diaz said.

Rogen, on the other hand, was very familiar with the superhero. He grew up with "The Green Hornet" and ultimately co-wrote the film, out Friday.

"It's pretty amazing that it's actually coming to fruition and that we actually like it," Rogen said of the project.

Rogen's right-hand man in the film, Kato, is played by Chou -- a Taiwanese pop-music superstar who has his first American movie role in "The Green Hornet." Chou walked down the green carpet with a translator, although he has learned a fair bit of English since he had his first meeting with the film's producers via Skype.

"It was strange," he recalled of the Internet meeting. "Very difficult because the language, English, it's a problem for me. So [I was] very nervous when I meet [the producers for the] first time. But right now, I fixed this. I speak English."

Cast members Edward James Olmos, Edward Furlong, Jamie Harris and David Harbour also hit the red carpet, as did the movie's director, Michel Gondry, with singer Becky Stark. The premiere was followed by an after-party at the Hollywood Roosevelt Hotel.

Also spotted: Judd Apatow, Sophia Bush, Garcelle Beauvais, Sara Rue, Michael Clarke Duncan with "The Apprentice" villain Omarosa Manigault Stallworth, Tom Green, Christopher Mintz-Plasse and Shelby Young of "The Social Network."

"The Green Hornet" opens Friday in theaters. Click the pic of Diaz and Rogen, above, for pictures from the red carpet.

[Jimbo]

Based on one of the commercials I saw, where Kato blows up a red-light camera with a rocket after they were "caught", I want to see it. Any movie where at least that happens has to be worth it. :)

[ghostexorcist]

Based on one of the commercials I saw, where Kato blows up a red-light camera with a rocket after they were "caught", I want to see it. Any movie where at least that happens has to be worth it. :)
Johnny English has the same gag in it.

[SPJ]

just went to see it 3 D

the plot got thickened at the end

overall all, it is good.

much enjoyed.

the theme music/tune from the 1960s popped up at the end

---

:)

[doug maverick]

I was searching for something completely different but came up with this. It's old and most of us have seen it, but it does give one pause on the verge of Jay Chou taking over Kato next week.

Bruce Lee's Audition for Kato on Green Hornet (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FOUzvSWv71A)

this was actually his audtion for the son of charlie chan series. that never got picked up.

[@PLUGO]

Our latest take on GREEN HORNET: Channeling Kato: Jay Chou dons the iconic mask in GREEN HORNET (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/ezine/article.php?article=942)

[GeneChing]

not bad overall though...

Weekend Report: 'Green Hornet' Kicks Into Top Gear Over MLK Weekend (http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3046&p=.htm)
by Brandon Gray
January 18, 2011

Swooping into first with $40 million in four days, The Green Hornet added some zing to an otherwise tepid Martin Luther King, Jr. weekend, while The Dilemma was a distant second. Overall business was down around 25 percent from the same weekend last year, which featured the one-two punch of Avatar and The Book of Eli, and it was the least-attended MLK weekend since 1994.

With $33.5 million for the three-day weekend, The Green Hornet snared the highest-grossing opening ever for a live-action superhero comedy, topping Kick-Ass's $19.8 million in a sub-genre that usually struggles at the box office. The movie's four-day gross was estimated to be slightly higher than the MLK launches of The Book of Eli last year ($38.4 million) and Paul Blart: Mall Cop in 2009 ($39.2 million). Green Hornet also broke star Seth Rogen's losing streak: his last successful picture was Pineapple Express in 2008, and it was followed by the disappointments Zack and Miri Make a Porno, Observe and Report and Funny People.

Distributor Sony Pictures's exit polling indicated that The Green Hornet's audience was 61 percent male and evenly split over and under 25 years old. Green Hornet played on approximately 5,700 screens at 3,584 locations, and the release included 2,704 3D venues, which accounted for 69 percent of business (62 percent at 2,530 regular 3D sites and seven percent at 174 IMAX 3D sites).

Unlike Rogen, Vince Vaughn and Kevin James were on a hot streak, but that cooled with The Dilemma. On around 3,500 screens at 2,940 locations, the comedy pulled in $17.8 million ($20.5 million four-day), which was low by the stars' recent standards. Vaughn's Couples Retreat and Four Christmases nearly doubled that on their first weekends, while James was last seen in the larger Grown Ups and headlined the aforementioned Paul Blart. Distributor Universal Pictures' research indicated that 60 percent of Dilemma's audience was female and 58 percent was aged 30 years and older.

The pairing of Vaughn and James (along with director Ron Howard) should have been a comedic event, but, while Sony's advertising was revving past redline for Green Hornet, Universal's marketing seemed to be whiffing on Dilemma, particularly in the home stretch: blink-and-you-miss-them television ads failed to convey the premise or provide laughs. Dilemma's premise of a man learning his friend's wife is cheating and debating whether to tell the friend or not wasn't much of a dilemma, and it wasn't as comedically charged as Vaughn's other relationship comedies. Sony hit hard, early and often with Green Hornet, including carpet-bombing football and basketball telecasts and scoring Carls Jr. tie-in ads that started running early in the holiday season. On paper, Hornet sounded problematic, given its sub-genre and star, but the movie looked like a super-slick action buddy comedy in its ads, cleanly conveying the premise and deftly integrating Rogen's persona.

Meanwhile, last weekend's top grosser, True Grit, eased 25 percent Friday-to-Sunday and made $13.1 million for the four-day weekend, lifting its haul to $128.3 million in 27 days and gaining further ground on Little Fockers. The latter continued to lose steam at a faster rate than predecessor Meet the Fockers, falling 47 percent and grossing $8.5 million four-day for a franchise-soft $135.6 million total in 27 days.

The King's Speech more than doubled its location count to 1,543, and business rose 43 percent Friday-to-Sunday. It earned $11.3 million over the four days, increasing its sum to an impressive $46.8 million in 53 days. Also expanding, Black Swan jumped from 1,584 locations to 2,328 and had a $10.2 million four-day, but business was up three percent from last weekend. Its tally stands at $75 million in 45 days.

In its second weekend, Season of the Witch plummeted 57 percent Friday-to-Sunday and from third place to 11th, grossing a $5.4 million four-day for an anemic $18.9 million in 11 days. Country Strong also showed weakness in its second weekend of nationwide release, dropping 50 percent for a $4.4 million four-day and ranking 12th with $14 million in the till.


Around-the-World Roundup: 'Tangled' Swats 'Green Hornet' (http://boxofficemojo.com/news/?id=3050&p=.htm)
by Ray Subers
January 19, 2011

Tangled held off decent competition from The Green Hornet to retain the top spot overseas over the weekend. With the exception of The King's Speech, most releases saw modest declines, and overall business trailed last year when Avatar led with $128.9 million (more than the Top Ten combined this week).

Without any significant openings, Tangled dipped 41 percent to an estimated $15.6 million. Its top territory was Australia ($3.1 million), followed by Brazil ($2.3 million) and Germany ($1.9 million). Playing in just 55 percent of the foreign markets, Tangled has thus far earned $212.5 million for a worldwide (domestic plus foreign) total of $393.5 million. It will easily pass $400 million worldwide this weekend before opening in the United Kingdom and South Africa on Jan. 28.

In its first weekend, The Green Hornet grossed $15.1 million in 35 territories. It debuted in first place in Germany with $4.1 million and second place in the U.K. and France with $3 million and $2.4 million, respectively.

Tron Legacy added an estimated $14.6 million, with around $8.1 million coming from its debut in China. While the China opening was impressive, these figures indicated that the rest of Tron's territories declined by an average of 63 percent. The sci-fi sequel has thus far generated $170.3 million overseas for a worldwide total of $328.8 million, and it is set to expand in to Belgium this weekend before adding German-speaking territories at the end of the month.

Little Fockers grossed $14.2 million in 52 markets for a total of $133.5 million. In a further sign that it's lagging behind Meet the Fockers, Little Fockers' $3 million opening in Italy was just over half of its predecessor's debut six years ago.

The Tourist made off with an estimated $13.9 million in 68 markets. It had strong first place openings in Mexico ($1.5 million) and Greece ($1.2 million). The Angelina Jolie-Johnny Depp thriller also added $2.6 million in Russia, which is now the movie's highest-grossing territory. Its overseas total currently sits at $122.1 million, and its worldwide haul should reach $200 million this weekend.

Gulliver's Travels enjoyed another solid showing, grossing $11.6 million in 42 territories. It had a strong $2.2 million start in Brazil, along with respectable holdover earnings in Russia ($2.2 million) and the U.K. ($2 million). Since opening in December, Gulliver has earned just shy of $100 million overseas.

Italian comedy Che Bella giornata added $10.6 million to bring its impressive total to $42.1 million. Excluding Avatar ($83 million), it's already Italy's highest-grossing release of at least eight years.

The King's Speech earned $9.4 million in just four territories for a total of $33.2 million. In the U.K., it rose 28 percent to $7 million, and also added $1.8 million in Australia. The Colin Firth-Geoffrey Rush period drama is set to open in Finland and New Zealand this weekend.

The Chronicles of Narnia: The Voyage of the Dawn Treader dropped 48 percent to $9.2 million in 65 territories. Its $3.6 million weekend in China brought its total there to $12.6 million, making it China's highest-grossing entry in the Narnia series. With an foreign total of $257.6 million, Dawn Treader stood just over $20 million away from eclipsing Prince Caspian's total.

Foreign Top Ten - Weekend Gross - Gross-to-Date
1. Tangled - $15.6 - $212.5
2. The Green Hornet - $15.1 - $15.1
3. Tron Legacy - $14.6 - $170.3
4. Little Fockers - $14.2 - $133.5
5. The Tourist - $13.9 - $122.1
6. Gulliver's Travels - $11.6 - $99.7
7. Che Bella giornata - $10.6 - $42.1
8. The King's Speech - $9.4 - $33.2
9. Chronicles of Narnia 3 - $9.2 - $257.6
10. Love and Other Drugs - $8.9 - $34.1

[GeneChing]

I thought it might hold on to #1 for another week.


Off Box Office Mojo: (http://boxofficemojo.com/weekend/chart/)
1 N No Strings Attached Par. $20,300,000-3,018-$6,726 $20,300,000 $25 1
2 1 The Green Hornet Sony $18,100,000-46.0%-3,584-$5,050 $63,441,000 120 2

It opens in China for Chinese New Years, at least according to another news report on the Shaolin thread (http://ezine.kungfumagazine.com/forum/showthread.php?p=1074295#post1074295). My bet is this is where they will cash in.

[doug maverick]

yea i didnt think it would get number one two weeks in a row...natalie portman is on fire right now gene. she won the golden globe for black swan, she has just the right amount of media exposure that makes movie goers want to see her again. she has now joined the Alist.

[GeneChing]

Maybe it was my personal bias as I did not care to watch a film where Aston beds Natalie. :mad:

As predicted, GH is doing quite well in Asia. Brilliant marketing, really.

01/02/2011
Jay Chou’s ‘The Green Hornet’ topples charts in Taiwan (http://entertainment.xin.msn.com/en/celebrity/buzz/asia/article.aspx?cp-documentid=4615326)

It should come as no surprise that Hollywood movie The Green Hornet is doing exceptionally well in Taiwan, the homeland of multi-talented Jay Chou.

The Green Hornet had raked in NT$4.1 billion (S$108 million) worldwide since its release and brought in NT$35 million (S$150,000) during its first of release in Taiwan.

A new standard has been set and Jay broke his previous NT$29 million (S$130,000) record set by Curse of the Golden Flower, a 2006 film which starred him, Chow Yun-Fat and Gong Li.

Jay's English lines had always been the focus of public's attention since he was awarded the role of Kato, the skilled sidekick of the Green Hornet.

In one particular scene where the two male leads quarreled and later fought, Jay's character actually spouted "It's all your fault" in Chinese. Later, Jay shouted "quick, quick, run quickly" in another scene.

To that, the director explained that Jay had forgotten his English lines and spoke naturally in Chinese. He later felt that Jay sounded and acted natural, and decided to leave it untouched.

In other related reports, it was said that a pirated version of The Green Hornet could be found in China, although the show was not yet released in the country.

Jay's good friend rallied Chinese fans on his microblog, to support Asian pride by watching the original.

"I only want to say this to the people who watched the pirated version: Believe me, you will want to watch it again in the cinemas. However, you'd tell me regretfully 'If I knew then, I would've watched it in the cinema'," Jay's friend wrote.

[GeneChing]

It's all about Kato in Asia. ;)


Thu, Jan 27, 2011
The New Paper
Jay Chou's Asia's superhero (http://news.asiaone.com/News/The%2BNew%2BPaper/Story/A1Story20110126-260508.html)
By Tan Kee Yun

IT WAS in Los Angeles' Chinatown that Hollywood comic Seth Rogen finally got a taste of just how famous Taiwanese pop sensation Jay Chou is.

The co-stars of the new superhero movie The Green Hornet were filming a scene in an apartment there.

The 28-year-old Canadian actor-writer told The New Paper: "Though we've heard of Jay's massive popularity among the Chinese community, we didn't know how big he really was...(until we) witnessed it for ourselves."

"There was a huge crowd forming outside, including a bunch of Asian girls who were freaking out like they had just seen the Beatles.

Chou makes his Hollywood debut as Kato, the Green Hornet's agile sidekick.

The action comedy - which opens here on Thursday - also stars Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz.

During roundtable interviews with the media at St Regis Hotel, Rogen continued with a loud guffaw: "I have met a lot of famous people in my life, but I've never seen anything like that before (referring to the Chinatown incident)...It was pretty amazing."

The megawatt stardom of 32-year-old Chou was affirmed by Gondry, who gamely revealed that throughout the Asian promotional tour of The Green Hornet, Chou never failed to become "the main attraction".

"When we were in Japan and Beijing, no one showed interest in talking to me or Seth," said the 47-year-old Frenchman best known for the critically acclaimed Eternal Sunshine Of The Spotless Mind (2004).

"Even if they did, it was just to find out what it was like working with Jay." With a smile, Gondry added that among Rogen, Chou and himself, Chou "also gets the most number of female fans".

"It's kind of like The Rolling Stones," he deadpanned, making a reference to the legendary English rock band.

"All the girls love (frontman vocalist) Mick Jagger and (guitarist) Keith Richards and I am bassist BillWyman."

Rogen doesn't seem to mind the fact that Chou constantly overshadows him.

"Well, turns out he wasn't lying at all back in America," quipped the star of Hollywood comedies like Knocked Up, Pineapple Express and Funny People.

"He is indeed extremely famous!"

Chou landed the part of Kato after plans to get Hong Kong veteran actor Stephen Chow (who was slated to play Kato and take on directing duties) on board fellthrough.

According to Rogen, the first reading with Chou was done over Skype, and the film-makers instantly found him "very cool".

Despite Chou's popularity in the Asian leg of the film's promotional tour, there was nary a trace of rivalry between the pair.

Chou told TNP in Mandarin: "On this trip to Asia, I've been teaching Seth some basic Mandarin."

"Just the other day, I taught him 'chao diao', a colloquial term used in Taiwan that means awesome," said the Mandopop superstar, whose much-loved rap hit Nunchuks was made The Green Hornet's official end credits theme.

Learning English

In return, Rogen taught him English phrases - the kind Chou had better not show off in public.

"Yes, I'm a very bad influence. I taught him the swear words, the stuff you'd consider slightly dirty," confessed Rogen sheepishly.

The language barrier between Chou and his Hollywood counterparts has not stopped them from falling in love with his distinctive R&B musical style.

Chou held a concert at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and Sports Arena last month, one that saw the attendance of Gondry, Rogen and Diaz.

"I passed them my CDs as well," he said.

Well-known in Taiwan for his deftness in performing magic tricks, Chou recalled how he found it "awkward" showing off his skills in front of Rogen or Gondry as "it's not a very guy thing".

He added: "With Cameron, it's okay, she knows plenty of tricks herself, so I did promise her I'll learn some new ones to show her next time."

In response to a journalist's question about his concerns over being stereotyped as an Asian actor in Hollywood, Chou laughed and said: "If you've caught the movie, you'd know it definitely doesn't put Asians in a bad light.

"In fact, it shows Asians aren't to be bullied."

Chou's version of Kato, who was played by the late Bruce Lee on the small screen, isn't simply a sidekick of Rogen's Green Hornet, but a buddy and an equal.

"It's something we set out to achieve right from the beginning," said Rogen, who is also a co-writer for the film.

"To us, it's ridiculously insulting how Asians have always been relegated to the sidekick supporting role.

"If you look at the television series, you can't help but marvel how Bruce Lee was really iconic, yet subjugated as Kato."


`Green Hornet' stars receive lavish reception from Taiwanese fans (http://focustaiwan.tw/ShowNews/WebNews_Detail.aspx?Type=aALL&ID=201101260035)
2011/01/26 20:53:37
Taipei, Jan. 26 (CNA) Hundreds of fans of Asian megastar Jay Chou braved the rain Wednesday just for a glimpse of their favorite idol, who is in Taiwan with funnyman co-star Seth Rogen to promote the Hollywood movie, "Green Hornet."

After waiting for hours, the crowd went berserk when Chou, Rogen, and the movie's director, Michel Gondry, graced the green carpet for the Taiwanese premiere of the movie.

The three arrived at the premiere in style riding in the "Black Beauty, " a black 1960's Chrysler classic used as the duo's wheels of choice in the movie. The car was gifted to Chou by the production company to add to his antique car collection, the organizer of the premier said.

The organizers also laid on a festive Chinese traditional lion dance to invoke the deities' good luck in ticket sales.

"Jay Chou is amazing in the movie so go support your man here, " said Rogen, who said he was enjoying the food and the people of Taiwan. This is Rogen's first visit to the country.

Gondry also took the opportunity to show off his B-box skills and cracked several jokes to set the mood.

The special effects-filled picture is scheduled for nationwide release Friday and is expected to draw huge audiences, despite the cold weather forecast for the end of the week.

With nearly 40 million albums sold worldwide since Chou's first hit in 2001, the 32 year-old king of Mandopop, who easily dominates the Chinese entertainment industry, wants to have more.

"Green Hornet" is Chou's first foray into Hollywood, but he said he hopes it was just a delicious starter to hook American viewers and make them want more Chou in the future.

The 3-D action-packed comedy about a pair of masked crime busters has been hailed for its special effects and its well-orchestrated fight scenes.

Although some critics have described the 119-minute film, which also stars Cameron Diaz and Christoph Waltz, as offered little sting, it has still won the affection of movie goers, grossing over US$40 million so far.

In the movie, Chou plays Kato, a loyal and creative side-kick who invents an array of state-of-the-art gadgets to help accomplish the missions on which the crime-fighting team embark. The role was made famous by the late legendary martial art star Bruce Lee in the original TV series.

During the casting of the remake, other better known Asian stars such as Stephen Chow and Jackie Chan were considered, but the gig eventually went to Chou because of the "instant chemistry" between him and Rogen. (By Jenny W. Hsu)

[GeneChing]

I've even got a complaint about my review from a fan who thought my comparison of Jay Chou to Justin Bieber was insulting. It was a thoughtful email, and I'll probably run it in our letters section for our next issue.

International Box Office Goes 'Green' (http://abcnews.go.com/Entertainment/wireStory?id=12773270)
International box office goes 'Green'; 'The Tourist' also travels well overseas
The Associated Press
By PAUL DERGARABEDIAN For The Associated Press
LOS ANGELES January 26, 2011 (AP)

Expanding to 40 territories in its second weekend of foreign release, "The Green Hornet" nabbed first place and crossed the $100 million mark in worldwide revenue, proving that Seth Rogen has as much global appeal as an action hero as he did as a slacker.

In second place in the international marketplace, Clint Eastwood?s late-arriving "Hereafter," starring Matt Damon, earned $13 million in 26 territories, which brings its worldwide total to $62 million.

Other notable news is that "The Tourist" crossed the $200 million mark in global revenue, with a third-place $10.7 million finish over the weekend as the film continues to draw international audiences in a chart-topping 52 territories.

Even before Oscar nominations were announced on Tuesday, "The King?s Speech" made its ascension into the top 5 in the global arena, earning $9.9 million in nine territories and a worldwide total that has crossed the $100 million mark. Look for this "King" to hold court over an even bigger audience this weekend as the news of its 12 Oscar nominations spreads around the globe.

Here are the top 20 movies at international theaters last weekend, followed by international gross for the weekend (excluding North America), number of theater locations, number of territories, worldwide gross to date (including North America), and number of weeks in release as compiled Wednesday by global media measurement company Rentrak Corp. and provided by Hollywood.com:

1. "The Green Hornet," $18,243,981, 6,984 locations, 40 territories, $102,847,377, two weeks.

2. "Hereafter," $13,002,528, 1,360 locations, 26 territories, $61,889,145, three weeks.

3. "The Tourist," $10,751,454, 4,008 locations, 52 territories, $205,193,660, seven weeks.

4. "Black Swan," $10,744,085, 3,196 locations, eight territories, $84,666,780, eight weeks.

5. "The King's Speech," $9,951,406, 2,324 locations, nine territories, $108,515,624, nine weeks.

6. "Tangled," $9,928,180, 4,303 locations, 33 territories, $407,593,133, nine weeks.

7. "Qualunquemente," $7,298,413, NA, one territory, $7,298,415, one week.

8. "Little Fockers," $7,082,967, 5,977 locations, 44 territories, $289,036,487, 26 weeks.

9. "Gulliver's Travels," $6,999,708, 3,377 locations, 32 territories, $140,504,446, five weeks.

10. "Love and Other Drugs," $6,513,690, 2,107 locations, 25 territories, $66,187,269, nine weeks.

11. "Yogi Bear," $6,186,268, 3,252 locations, 13 territories, $111,738,252, six weeks.

12. "Ma Che Bella Giornata," $5,859,548, NA, 1 territories, $51,744,980, three weeks.

13. "Samyy Luchshiy Film 3-De," $5,555,626, 853 locations, one territory, $5,433,496, one week.

14. "Immaturi," $4,526,640, NA, one territory, $4,526,641, one week.

15. "Season of the Witch," $4,427,054, 3,120 locations, 16 territories, $47,944,145, three weeks.

16. "Megamind," $4,300,327, 2,532 locations, 38 territories, $312,243,908, 12 weeks.

17. "Morning Glory," $3,742,814, 1,665 locations, 13 territories, $44,357,403, three weeks.

18. "Burlesque," $3,376,894, 1,042 locations, 31 territories, $70,099,588, nine weeks.

19. "Glove," $3,117,049, NA, one territory, $3,590,276, one week.

20. "Chronicles of Narnia: Voyage of the Dawn," $2,902,911, 4,034 locations, 40 territories, $359,976,290, eight weeks.

[GeneChing]

It's all about Jay Chou in Taiwan.

Taiwan audiences flock to local stars (http://www.filmbiz.asia/news/taiwan-audiences-flock-to-local-stars)
By Stephen Cremin
Wed, 02 February 2011, 14:25 PM (HKT)
Box Office News

The Green Hornet starring local singer-actor Jay Chou (周杰倫) dominated the Taipei box office at the weekend with NT$17.3 million ($595,000), representing 41% of ticket sales and — due to its higher 3-D ticket price — 46% of box office.

In a distant second place was local comedy Night Market Hero (雞排英雄) starring Chu Ko-liang (豬哥亮), Lotus Wang (王彩樺) and Blue Lan (藍正龍) with NT$5m ($173,000), an impressive opening for a Taiwan-produced film.

Shot in Taipei, the vibrant comedy is a community drama set in the 888 Night Market in which the locals unite to fight back against corrupt politicians and greedy property developers.

Hero is produced by Green Film (青睞影視製作有限公司) and directed by company head Yeh Tien-lun (葉天倫). In 2009, during development, it received a NT$4 million ($138,000) government production subsidy in the new director category.

The film is distributed in Taiwan in partnership with the local branch of 20th Century Fox who previously handled 1895 in Formosa (一八九五), Green Film's first film production.

Hero — which is screening in 17 cinemas in Taipei, with a total of 120 prints nationwide — had hoped to replicate the box office success of Monga (艋舺), distributed with the support of Warner Bros this time last year.

The gangster epic made NT$26 million ($904,000) in its opening three days in Taipei and was the highest grossing local film of 2010 with a final box office of NT$116 million ($4 million) in the capital.

In third place over the weekend was Burlesque, an unexpected hit in Taiwan since opening on 31 Dec 2010. By Friday night the musical had made NT$49 million ($1.7 million) after 31 days on release.

Unusually, two Chinese films were also in the top five.

Historical action epic Shaolin (新少林寺), directed by Hong Kong's Benny Chan (陳木勝), added NT$3.14 million ($109,000) to its NT$13.2 million ($457,000) box office income for distributor Serenity Entertainment (山水國際娛樂股份有限公司).

Feng Xiaogang's (馮小剛) relationship drama If You are the One II (非誠勿擾Ⅱ) was in fifth place with NT$1.83 million ($63,000) through Atom Cinema (原子映象有限公司) on a medium-scale release.

Released on 26 Jan, Just Call Me Nobody (大笑江湖) crossed NT$1m ($34,500) on Sunday after five days on release. Directed by Taiwan's Kevin Chu (朱延平), the anarchic comedy has made RMB159 million ($24 million) in China.

New films opening in Taipei today, 2 Feb 2011, include The Mechanic and Little Fockers. 3-D movies Tangled and Yogi Bear open tomorrow to benefit from the Lunar New Year holiday period.

[GeneChing]

50 Years Later, Bruce Lee Still Makes 'The Green Hornet' Kick Ass (https://www.inverse.com/article/20777-bruce-lee-the-green-hornet-50-years-later)
A half-century ago, Bruce Lee wore a mask and became a legend.
Eric Francisco September 9, 2016TV Shows

While Gene Roddenberry’s Star Trek celebrates its 50th anniversary, a little-known but no less important TV series is also celebrating its half-century birthday: The Green Hornet. This one-season superhero series would have likely been forgotten if not for the legend of its lead actor, Bruce Lee.

A philosopher, actor, and martial arts innovator — Lee created Jeet Kune Do, a forerunner to modern MMA — Lee simultaneously fought bad guys on TV and prejudice behind the scenes. An Asian-American man who made his TV debut just two years after segregation was ruled illegal, Lee had a lot to prove, and he did so with his awe-inspiring roundhouse kicks as Kato in The Green Hornet.

Produced by William Dozier, who also brought Batman to TV, The Green Hornet premiered on September 9, 1966. An adaptation of the 1930’s pulp radio character and comic book hero, The Green Hornet was a tough-as-nails superhero show far before Arrow and Marvel’s Daredevil hit the small screen. In the series, millionaire newspaper mogul Britt Reid (Van Williams) led a double life posing as the criminal kingpin Green Hornet in order to get close to, and then frame, bad guys. Accompanied by his valet Kato (Lee), the Hornet made criminals quiver while Batman was too busy getting groovy.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pBr2dIeDphU
continued next post (for the vids)

[GeneChing]

Although Hornet called the shots, it was Kato who stole the show: Quiet and dignified, Lee’s Kato was a breakthrough representation of Asians on American television, equally significant to George Takei’s Sulu from Star Trek. Lee technically beat Takei to the punch, though. Sulu came aboard the Enterprise in the show’s third episode “Where No Man Has Gone Before,” which aired on September 22.

However significant Lee’s Kato was, Lee wasn’t happy playing a servant to a white hero (although he reportedly had a solid friendship with his co-stars). To Lee’s relief, The Green Hornet ended after just 26 episodes in March of 1967. But in Hong Kong, The Green Hornet was a hit and aired as The Kato Show, proving not only the power of representation, but also Lee’s unmatched screen presence.


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v8wL3AA4BP0

Although the Green Hornet and Kato aren’t staples like Batman or Captain Kirk, they’re more than just a simple footnote in TV history. 50 years later, The Green Hornet holds up with Williams’ straight-laced delivery and Kato’s ass-kicking. Check out these episodes to get a sense of what The Green Hornet was all about.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Episode 01: “The Silent Gun”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aGlb1eHTeUU

Beginning the series with a somber funeral is one hell of a way to tell viewers, This ain’t Batman. Although a tad slow and muted for a superhero series, the show’s first episode “The Silent Gun” is a typical murder mystery that sets up the overall structure that every subsequent Green Hornet episode will follow.

Be prepared to watch the same footage of Green Hornet and Kato getting ready in the Black Beauty, too. They’ll use those same shots throughout the show’s remaining 25 episodes.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Episode 03: “Programmed for Death”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HXQDQgAifqE

Unintentionally funny because it begins with a reporter mauled to death by a leopard, “Programmed for Death” may have actually been the show’s pilot. Hornet and Kato don cheaper-looking angular masks as opposed to the molded ones in other episodes. There’s also a big chase scene with the Black Beauty where Kato and Hornet use an array of the car’s gadgets, which may have been done to sell networks on Hornet being a different sort of Batman.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Episode 04: “Crime Wave”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gAEFOPTPXzU

The Green Hornet takes a turn into speculative science-fiction in “Crime Wave” as a villain creates a computer that can predict crimes. But really, this episode is cool simply because Green Hornet and Kato crash a costume party that’s somewhere between “neighborhood Halloween party” and “Eyes Wide Shut.” Kato also knocks out a guy with just three strikes. So awesome. continued next post

[GeneChing]

my personal fav...


Episode 10: “The Praying Mantis”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jo3fbGvGN20

Although seeped in 20th century “orientalism,” the 10th episode “The Praying Mantis” is the definitive Kato episode. Dragged into an investigation in the Chinatown district, Kato goes one-on-one against Low Sing (Mako, nominated for an Oscar the same year), a kung-fu master who leads a dangerous street gang.


continued next post

[GeneChing]

Episode 11: “The Hunters and the Hunted”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uT6bMcst-Ec

Eccentric big game hunters are fun villains for superheroes: Just ask Spider-Man, whose comic book arc “Kraven’s Last Hunt” is a fan favorite. In “The Hunters and the Hunted,” Green Hornet and Kato also become quarry for the elite Explorer’s Club, a secret society that hunts and kills people and criminals for sport. Besides the fun plot, this episode is one of the most notable times Kato uses nunchucks, a signature of Bruce Lee.

continued next post

[GeneChing]

Episode 20: “Ace in the Hole”


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sS0sVmcvwrM

One of Kato’s best moments in the series happens in “Ace in the Hole,” a light parody/homage to the 1951 movie of the same name. (Britt breaks a ton of journalistic practices as the Green Hornet, though it was never a big thing.) When a group of men can’t get a vault door open, Kato, that ****y *******, tells them to step aside. He kicks it open after three good kicks. It was peak Bruce Lee, and for awhile, The Green Hornet was better for it.

I celebrated Star Trek's 50th, but missed this one. :o

[@PLUGO]

From DEADLINE.com (http://deadline.com/2016/11/the-green-hornet-gavin-oconnor-paramount-chernin-entertainment-bruce-lee-1201854807/) - Badass ‘Green Hornet’? Paramount, Chernin Set Gavin O’Connor For Movie


EXCLUSIVE: Paramount Pictures and Chernin Entertainment have acquired rights to The Green Hornet. Gavin O’Connor is set to direct a film that will overhaul the image of Britt Reid into an edgy protagonist capable of being the catalyst for a new franchise. O’Connor, who just directed the Ben Affleck-starrer The Accountant, will work closely with Sean O’Keefe, who’ll write the script. O’Connor will produce with Chernin Entertainment.

The preconception of Green Hornet is a campy ’60s TV series (that starred Van Williams as Britt Reid, and launched Bruce Lee as Kato), and a movie action comedy that starred Seth Rogen. The first crack at a movie came when George Clooney was transitioning from ER to screen stardom, and was set to star in a film at Universal that came undone when ER exec producer Steven Spielberg prevailed on him to instead star in the first DreamWorks film, The Peacemaker, in 1997. He moved on to Batman, and the film property moved to Miramax, and then Sony Pictures, which finally made the Michel Gondry-Rogen version. It did OK , but there was no sequel, and the rights lapsed.

Paramount, Chernin and O’Connor look to wipe the slate clean with the hope that a storied, branded IP can get a do-over, as happened with Christopher Nolan’s Dark Knight films and JJ Abrams’ Star Trek and Star Wars pictures. Paramount, out from under the cost-cutting restrictions that Philippe Dauman placed on the studio that prevented purchases of assets like Marvel, is scouring the terrain looking for potential franchises. O’Connor, whose filmography includes such gritty male themed movies that included Warrior, Pride And Glory and Miracle, seems singularly suited for this assignment. He is invested in the mythology of a character that originated in a ’30s radio serial and ’40s comic book series. He shared his ambition with Deadline, and you’ve got to respect his passion.

“I’ve been wanting to make this movie — and create this franchise — since I’ve wanted to make movies,” O’Connor said. “As a kid, when most of my friends were into Superman and Batman, there was only one superhero who held my interest — The Green Hornet. I always thought he was the baddest badass because he had no superpowers. The Green Hornet was a human superhero. And he didn’t wear a clown costume. And he was a criminal — in the eyes of the law — and in the eyes of the criminal world. So all this felt real to me. Imagine climbing to the top of the Himalayas, or Mount Everest, or K2 over and over again and no one ever knew? You can never tell anybody. That’s the life of Britt and Kato. What they do, they can never say. They don’t take credit for anything.”

O’Connor waited until the time was right for his shot. “For almost 20 years now I’ve been tracking the rights, watching from the sidelines as they were optioned by one studio or another,” he said. “When I discovered the rights were available again, I tracked them down, partnered with Peter Chernin and we set the movie up at Paramount. With the rights now in our loving hands, I’m beyond excited to bring The Green Hornet into the 21st century in a meaningful and relevant way; modernizing it and making it accessible to a whole new generation. My intention is to bring a gravitas to The Green Hornet that wipes away the camp and kitsch of the previous iteration. I want to re-mythologize The Green Hornet in a contemporary context, with an emphasis on story and character, while at the same time, incorporating themes that speak to my heart. The comic book movie is the genre of our time. How do we look at it differently? How do we create a distinctive film experience that tells itself differently than other comic book movies? How do we land comfortably at the divide between art and industry? How do we go deeper, prompt more emotion? How do we put a beating heart into the character that was never done before? These are my concerns…these are my desires, my intentions, my fears, my goals.”

The exercise will involve bringing The Green Hornet into the kind of existential struggles evident in some Marvel and DC Comics franchises based on solitary, misunderstood anti-heroes. “The Green Hornet is ultimately a film about self-discovery,” O’Connor said. “When we meet Britt Reid he’s lost faith in the system. Lost faith in service. In institutions. If that’s the way the world works, that’s what the world’s going to get. He’s a man at war with himself. A secret war of self that’s connected to the absence of his father. It’s the dragon that’s lived with him that he needs to slay. And the journey he goes on to become The Green Hornet is the dramatization of it, and becomes Britt’s true self. I think of this film as Batman upside down meets Bourne inside out by way of Chris Kyle [American Sniper]. He’s the anti-Bruce Wayne. His struggle: Is he a savior or a destroyer? Britt made money doing bad things, but moving forward he’s making no money doing good things. He must realize his destiny as a protector and force of justice by becoming the last thing he thought he’d ever become: his father’s son. Which makes him a modern Hamlet. By uncovering his past, and the truth of his father, Britt unlocks the future.”

O’Connor said the character has the requisite physical skills to qualify as a badass: “Britt’s shadow war background makes him a natural at undercover work. This is connected to his military backstory, which is more CIA Special Activities Division than SEAL Team 6. He’s cross-trained in intelligence work and kinetic operations. A hunter at the top of the Special Operations food chain, working so far outside the system he had to think twice to remember his real name. We will put a vigilante engine under the hood of his character,” O’Connor said.

O’Keefe, meanwhile, takes on the writing duties after he recently adapted the video game franchise Watch Dogs for Ubisoft, Sony Pictures and New Regency. He also has his remake of Rupert Wyatt’s The Escapist looking to move forward with Liam Neeson circling the lead role and Brian Kirk directing. He also recently adapted The Esperanza Fire for Legendary.

O’Connor is repped by WME and Morris Yorn Barnes. O’Keefe is with WME, Brian Lutz Management and Bloom Hergott.

[GeneChing]

Amy Chu Scripting Green Hornet Relaunch (https://www.cbr.com/amy-chu-green-hornet-reboot-dynamite/)
12.20.2017
by Anthony Couto

https://static3.cbrimages.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/11/green-hornet-header.jpg?q=35&w=984&h=518&fit=crop

Dynamite Entertainment has announced plans for a new volume of Green Hornet, which will pick up after the last series by Kevin Smith, from writer Amy Chu (Red Sonja, Poison Ivy: Cycle of Life and Death) and artist German Erramouspe (Night of the Living Dead: Aftermath, Rancat). The first issue is set to hit stands in March.

The synopsis for the new Green Hornet volume is the following:

Britt Reid Jr., the scion of the Daily Sentinel publishing empire, vanishes during a wild party on his friend’s yacht. Meanwhile, crime spikes in the streets of Century City with the mysterious criminal/secret vigilante the Green Hornet absent. It’s only a matter of time before SOMEONE puts two and two together, and it’s up to Kato, former partner of Britt’s father, and his daughter Mulan to protect the city AND the Green Hornet legacy, while finding out what happened to Britt.

“The Green Hornet was one of the top titles on my bucket list to write, so I’m really thrilled to dive in,” Chu said in an official statement. “I’ve been listening to the old radio shows from the ’30s and trying to bring back some of the good guy vs bad guy elements of what made it popular in the ’30s. But this is not a pure nostalgia trip- there’s a lot of modern twists. My parent’s generation in Hong Kong liked Green Hornet because of Bruce Lee as Kato so I’m weaving in some solid martial arts action too.”

The first issue will feature several variant covers from artists including Mike Choi (X-Men, Cable), Carli Ihde (KISS/Vampirella, Sheena), Mike McKone (The Amazing Spider-Man, The Avengers, Iron Fist), and CP Wilson III (Deadpool, G.I. Joe, The Shadow).

Green Hornet #1 releases in March.

Kato's daughter Mulan? :rolleyes:

[GeneChing]

And I was trippin on Mulan... :p


http://www.syfy.com/sites/syfy/files/styles/1140x640/public/2018/03/green_hornet_amy_chu_hero.jpg?itok=XxoJ_vHf

WRITER AMY CHU ON DYNAMITE'S NEW GENDER-BENT GREEN HORNET (http://www.syfy.com/syfywire/writer-amy-chu-on-dynamites-new-gender-bent-green-hornet)
Contributed by Jeff Spry
Mar 5, 2018

There's a palpable buzz in the air as Dynamite Comics readies to launch its new Green Hornet series featuring a masked female crusader assuming the traditional mantle.

Since 2009, the New Jersey-based publisher has been delivering a dynamic nest of thrilling Green Hornet comics, including Kevin Smith's excellent Batman '66 Meets The Green Hornet crossover in 2014. Now it's up to Amy Chu (Poison Ivy, Red Sonja, KISS) to carry on the tradition with her gender-bent take on the classic character. Chu is also heading up Dynamite's new Dejah Thoris title, which deals with the early days of Edgar Rice Burroughs' Princess of Mars.

Dynamite's Green Hornet incarnation will feature striking art by German Erramouspe (Disenchanted, Dark Gods) and centers around Britt Reid and Kato's crime-stopping kids, Britt Jr. and Mulan.

Here's the official solicitation synopsis:


Britt Reid Jr., the scion of the Daily Sentinel publishing empire, vanishes during a wild party on his friend's yacht. Meanwhile, crime spikes in the streets of Century City with the mysterious criminal/secret vigilante the Green Hornet absent. It's only a matter of time before SOMEONE puts two and two together, and it's up to Kato, former partner of Britt's father, and his daughter Mulan to protect the city AND the Green Hornet legacy, while finding out what happened to Britt. Amy Chu picks up where Kevin Smith left off with an action packed mystery.

Chu was heading home after a long weekend at Seattle's Emerald City Comic Con, where enthusiasm for her new title was building toward Wednesday's big release.

"A few retailers at Emerald City stopped by to tell me their preorders were really strong for Green Hornet, like highest they’ve ever had for a Dynamite title, so that’s pretty awesome to hear," Chu tells SYFY WIRE. "It’s always tricky to balance the new with the old in a changing world, and that’s a major theme in this story. What does it mean to be the Green Hornet today? Who gets to wear the hat and mask?"

http://www.syfy.com/sites/syfy/files/styles/1100xauto/public/greenhornetcover2.png?itok=QCzPzuYJ

"The Green Hornet was one of the top titles on my bucket list to write, so I'm really thrilled to dive in," Chu says. "I've been listening to the old radio shows from the '30s and trying to bring back some of the good guy vs. bad guy elements of what made it popular in the '30s. But this is not a pure nostalgia trip — there's a lot of modern twists. My parent's generation in Hong Kong liked Green Hornet because of Bruce Lee as Kato, so I'm weaving in some solid martial arts action, too."

http://www.syfy.com/sites/syfy/files/styles/1100xauto/public/amychu_0.png?itok=ix5HIp_3

Check out SYFY WIRE's exclusive preview in the gallery below and tell us if you're ready for Mulan's Green Hornet when the first issue stings readers on March 7.

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There are more preview pix - follow the link above if you want to see them.

She had me at "solid martial arts action". :)