In an interesting move, Stephen Chow — who is native to Hong Kong and an absolute mega-star in Asia, having written, directed, AND starred in Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle, and CJ7 — will now star in and direct the upcoming adaptation of The Green Hornet.
Chow will be starring opposite Seth Rogen, who is playing the title character, as well as writing and executive producing the film with BFF Evan Goldberg (Superbad).
Columbia made the announcement today that Chow will be playing Kato, which comes as no surprise since his name seemed to be the only one ever mentioned for the part of the Green Hornet’s sidekick. This makes perfect sense as the man isn’t as legendary overseas as he is for no reason; he’s incredibly talented and even more funny. I’m not even familiar with The Green Hornet and I think it’s perfect casting, which means I’m either incredibly wrong or it’s just that good a fit.
The big surprise here is that Stephen Chow will also be directing. I don’t recall that part ever being mentioned in regard to him, so while perfectly acceptable, it’s still unexpected. Again, though, the man’s resume speaks for itself again and again, so this project is taking a pretty damn intriguing form.
Mr. Chow had this to say about the announcement:
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.
Neal H. Moritz will also be producing, in addition to Rogen and Goldberg. The movie is currently looking approvingly at a June 25, 2010 release date.
