Green Hornet

[GeneChing]

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

Hornet Hustle

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.

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'
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
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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?

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
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.