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Michel Gondry—you read it right—to helm Green Hornet??
Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry is in talks to direct The Green Hornet, Columbia's movie update on the classic crime-fighting hero, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Gondry would step in for Stephen Chow, who had been tapped to direct but dropped out over creative differences. Chow is still expected to co-star as Kato, the Hornet's trusty sidekick and chauffeur. Seth Rogen plays the Green Hornet.
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 trade paper reported.
Gondry marks an offbeat choice to direct a superhero movie: He's also the helmer behind The Science of Sleep and Be Kind Rewind. He signals that the creative direction in which 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-executive producers.
By blue at 3:47 PM ON 02/24/09
Hm, he would not be my first choice. This sort of sounds like Ang Lee doing Hulk, which didn't turn out well. I'll keep my hopes up though.
By The Tekwych at 5:27 PM ON 02/24/09
As long as Rogen is connected to this project it will be a crapfest and, with luck, tank. Green Hornet deserves an honest treatment like Batman and the new take on Bond. I could even except something like X-Men or Spiderman but Rogen has no clue what kind of rich history Green Hornet has and could never gain the acting chops to give this kind of lead what it deserves.
By batwolf at 5:38 PM ON 02/24/09
This is a fiasco waiting to happen. It is a disaster waiting to happen. Columbia better re-think this decision to have Rogen attached to it as the Hornet. As for Chow he will make a good Kato but I can think of much better choices. DISASTER!
By WannaBeatle at 6:22 PM ON 02/24/09
I'm forced to agree with everyone here too.
it's a shame that Clooney still isn't going to do it. If they were looking to camp it up a bit, but still keep believability, he'd still be my first choice.
as a very long time fan, I'll still see it, but, ya never know, it might turn out good...and that's a big maybe.
By hermy at 8:49 PM ON 02/24/09
did we forget that the 60's tv show with bruce lee was dumber than the batman show we all love to hate.seth is a big comic nerd.more than most in hollywood.hey, i have my doughts to.he just mite suprise us.
By jbs780 at 10:56 PM ON 02/24/09
Is this thing going to be seerious or a spoof? This Rogen fellow is a comedian...right?
By Tom Black at 11:42 PM ON 02/24/09
Gondry is one of the most visually sophisticated directors on the job these days. While his previous fare has been quirky, the same could be said about Tim Burton before Batman. Oops! I forgot. Burton never could really put together an action sequence could he? :)
By Gaijin at 1:40 PM ON 02/25/09
Okay, I'm going to say this once to all of you, and I want you to take it to heart.
Back in the late 1980's, Tim Burton announced that he was going to make a "Batman" movie. The fans were excited at the idea and knew that Burton's flair for film would do the franchise justice.
However, when he announced that his choice for Bruce Wayne/Batman was Michael Keaton, unilaterially the fans and film reviewers were up in arms and complained to no end that the movie would be terrible due to his choice of lead.
Fast forward today where we saw what happened. Not only did Michael Keaton do an amazing job as Batman, he did such a good job that for years nobody could see anybody else playing the caped crusader BUT Michael Keaton.
Now we look at the upcoming Green Hornet movie and people are quick to complain and say that Seth Rogen is a terrible choice for the title character. But, as I mentioned before, we've been wrong before and it stands to reason we could be wrong again.
I have my doubts, but I'm not going to pass judgement until after I've walked out of the theater upon viewing the film. Then, if it sucks, I'll join in with the rest of you. If it's great, at least I won't be forced to eat crow like so many of you just might have to do.
By Alric at 7:17 PM ON 02/25/09
I've been reading about this project off and on for years, and as a fan of the series when I was a kid, I was eagerly anticipating the go-ahead. Then Seth Rogen was attached and that killed it for me. What are they thinking. People will see it, for sure, because Seth Rogan will be in it. I'll probably see it myself, as a rental. But at this juncture, I can't see it being what it deserved to be.
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Alric:
I've been reading about this project off and on for years, and as a fan of the series when I was a kid, I was eager...More »