We’ve known for a long while that Seth Rogen has been attached to co-write and star in a big-screen version of The Green Hornet – and today, he finally found not only the guy who will play the Hornet’s faithful sidekick, Kato, but also the guy who will direct the big-budget action-comedy.
And, as luck would have it, they’re the same guy: Stephen Chow. (And yes, we know that the picture above is Seth Rogen - we don't have one of Chow at the moment)
Yes, the Chinese genius behind the magnificent Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer is set to bring his Looney Tunes sense of humour and kinetic, thousand-miles-an-hour visual sense to his first American movie – as well as playing the role made most famous by perhaps the most famous movie martial artist of them all, Bruce Lee.
"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," Chow told The Hollywood Reporter. "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." Lee, of course, played Kato in the 1960s TV show.
Frankly, we can’t wait for this one. Rogen and his writing partner, Evan Goldberg, showed with the excellent Pineapple Express that a) Superbad was no fluke in the funny stakes and b) that they knew their way around an action sequence. Expect to see sparks fly, in a good way, when their droll comedic sensibilities and feel for genre collides with Chow’s wonderfully demented directing style.
"Stephen was always my and Evan's first choice for director and to play Kato,” laughed Rogen. “We just hope that he never finds out we're not the Wachowski Brothers."
When Empire last spoke to Rogen, at Comic-Con, he was confident that a Kato was close, but would say no more. Now we know why he couldn’t say anything and why he sported such an enigmatic smile.
Certainly, any doubts over whether Rogen – who may have slimmed down for the role, but is still a long way from your average action hero – could acquire the necessary action chops for his role as Britt Reid, a millionaire newspaper publisher who becomes the masked crimefighter when nobody is looking, have been assuaged. As anyone who saw Kung Fu Hustle knows, Chow could make this Empire correspondent look like he can kick ass.
June 25, 2010 is the release date for the Sony film, which is produced by Neal H. Moritz. Filming should start next year, after Chow completes work on Kung Fu Hustle 2.