Stephen Chow Joins Green Hornet Remake
October 21, 2008
THE GREEN HORNET
The television show which introduced Bruce Lee to American audiences as the trustworthy, crime-fighting side-kick Kato is set to be remade for the big screen. Columbia Pictures optioned the rights to The Green Hornet last year, and now with a screenplay by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg in hand, the film is set to release on June 25th 2010. 
The latest big announcement is that
Stephen Chow, of
Kung Fu Hustle and
Shaolin Soccer fame, will both star in and direct the film. Stephen Chow is one of Asia's most popular box-office draws and award-winning stars.
STEPHEN CHOW
Before deciding on Chow (pictured below), Rogen had said earlier in the year, "It's a very intense action movie and the relationship between Green Hornet and Kato, a lot of comedy comes from that. At first actually, we weren't even sure going in we could be more of a Jet Li type guy who maybe isn't the funniest guy in the world, but he's physically very impressive, or whether it would be more of a Stephen Chow type guy who can do martial arts, but clearly has a sense of humor. In the version that we've made it seems like a Stephen Chow type guy would be more suitable for the role."
Chow has said, "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 mov
ie debut is simply a dream come true."
THE TV SERIES
The original series starred Van Williams (pictured with Lee above) as Britt Reid/The Green Hornet and debuted on ABC in 1966.
Despite the huge interest in Bruce Lee and his chauffeur by profession, martial arts fighting character Kato, the Green Hornet TV series was cancelled after just one year in 1967. In Hong Kong, the show was called “The Kato Show” rather than "The Green Hornet", due to Lee’s popularity.
The show followed the adventures of Britt, a bored playboy whose life is changed when he inherits his father's crusading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. He saves the life of Kato, who becomes Britt's closest ally -- and transforms Britt's car into the supercharged Black Beauty, giving them an edge as they search for evidence to expose the city's underworld in the newspaper.
Britt invents his secret identity -- the Green Hornet – and is also a skilled fighter and expert marksman.
Watch a fight scene with a young Bruce Lee as Kato from the original series below.
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