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Rogen: Green Hornet will include homage to a famous cowboy
Seth Rogen says that his upcoming Green Hornet movie will mention that his character, Britt Reid, is the grandnephew of the Lone Ranger.
"Yes, there is something to that. John Reid was the Lone Ranger," said Rogen in an interview with SCI FI Wire. Rogen said the script, which he had a hand in writing with Evan Goldberg, went through many different rewrites. Kung Fu Hustle director Stephen Chow bowed out as director, and now Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind director Michel Gondry is taking over the project, but Chow will still play Kato, the sidekick to the Green Hornet.
"We had written in some kind of subtle reference," Rogen said. "I think that it's [subtle] mostly because a different studio owns the Lone Ranger than owns the Green Hornet, like Jerry Bruckheimer owns Lone Ranger or something." (Bruckheimer announced at a Disney party last September that he planned to reinvent the Lone Ranger franchise, but no further details have been announced.)
Rogen explained that the mention of the rival superhero comes merely in passing. "In our script, that's really not a significant plot point in any way," he said. "They will say the line, and if they let us keep it, then they let us keep it, but if they don't, then we won't."
The Los Angeles Times reported on Jan. 26 that there's a possibility that Adam Sandler will play a superhero in The Green Hornet, and there is speculation that he could be a descendant of The Lone Ranger. The Green Hornet is scheduled for a 2010 release.
By Storm1968 at 7:57 AM ON 03/19/09
I'm already feeling a bit ill about this movie. Once again (Like Land of the Lost), the people involved seem to want to do a 'tongue-in-cheek' movie instead of something more serious like the recent Batman movies. And some wonder why the genre doesn't get taken more seriously.
By bob53186 at 9:28 AM ON 03/19/09
I think you could made a good, serious period rendition of the Hornet. As for Campy - been there, done that (30 years ago) and it didn't work or connect with an audience.
By greenhornet428 at 10:04 AM ON 03/19/09
The ranger is ok but id also like to see homage paid to Bruce Lee. The old green hornet is on cable now. Bruce was AMAZING
By stargazer_1682 at 11:43 AM ON 03/19/09
I thought Seth Rogen's Green Hornet project was dead.
Wasn't it reported on here a few weeks ago, that it was sheleved or put on hold, or something?
By hmolsen at 12:02 PM ON 03/19/09
I thought it was common knowledge that the Green Hornet was the grandnephew of the Lone Ranger. Britt Reid father is Dan Reid the nephew of John Reid. Plus, Both the Green Hornet and the Lone Ranger were created by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker.
I'm a collector of old time radio shows. In my Green Hornet collection I have the episode in which Dan Reid informs his son of his relationship to the Lone Ranger. The Ranger's name is not mentioned but Dan Reid refers to a painting on the wall of his son's study of a masked man on white horse and in the background instead of the Green Hornet theme they are playing the Lone Ranger theme.
I've been looking forward to this movie coming out ever since I first heard about it a couple years ago. However, if Adam Sandler is in it and especially if he plays the Hornet, I'll pass. I can't stand Sandler.
By Captain Jack Harkness at 12:52 PM ON 03/19/09
Yep, I already know about the Lone Ranger connection too. And I'm thinking, who is Seth Rogen anyway? And just like hmolsen, you put Adam Sandler in this movie and it's dead to me, I can't stand that putz. Next they'll be saying Jim Carrey's going to be Kato - bleah!
By Bob at 2:30 PM ON 03/19/09
Seth Rogen? Gimme a break.
By Kenn at 2:32 PM ON 03/19/09
Rogan's just keep reaffirming how much of a farce this project it and continues to be. Hopefully, if there's a God (gods, goddess, higher being) some beans counter will pull the damn plug on this, and return Rogan to his nice comfortable "stoner humor" niche... where he belongs.
By Richard at 5:25 PM ON 03/19/09
The Green Hornet / Lone Ranger connection was also used in the '80's Green Hornet comic book series. They also had the current Hornet be the son and/or grandson of the original from the '30s and 40's. The modern Kato was also the descendant of the original Kato. It was a great comic book series and would make a terrific movie and/or miniseries.
Seth Rogen as the Green Hornet? You have got to be kidding!
By jbs780 at 6:30 PM ON 03/19/09
I hate that this picture will be done as a comedy. I assume that is the case since Rogen is cast as the Hornet.
Also for the record, the sixties TV show was not campy, but rather, done completly serious. Yes, i know it was done by the same people who did the Batman show which was CAMPY to the max, but the Green Hornet was done straight...except for the cross over episodes of Batman that the Hornet and Kato appeared in.
By TauCetiPrime at 7:15 PM ON 03/19/09
OH, HELL, NO! Tongue in cheek??? Come on... The Green Hornet reduced to comedy? I'll pass on this one.
By Gill Avila at 2:02 AM ON 03/20/09
God--if it's already PLANNED to be a tongue-in-cheek crapfest then why not give Stephen Macht the lead? The Spirit was his Ishtar--maybe he can do something with Hornet. At least he'll get to hide behind a mask again. At least he's not a one-shot wonder like The Legend of the Lone Ranger's Klinton Spilsbury.
By QuantumSam at 9:36 AM ON 03/20/09
Seth Rogen can;t pull off Green Hornet -- I expect it to die. Just look at Rogen in his new "Observe and Report" which has him at his slimmest yet -- he's a fat cow.
He is not Green Hornet. He cannot play Green Hornet, and why is it news that the movie will mention the Lone Ranger -- that's just filler, pathetic filler trying to stoke interest.
Give me Van Williams anytime!!! I live for the green Hornet and I will not see this because it's Rogen!
By Kplan at 2:23 AM ON 03/22/09
Uhhh...where in the above article does it say that The Green Hornet film is going to be a comedy? Rogan has said in numerous interviews that he had to prove to the studio that he and his writing partner could write action before they got the assignment. And the casting of Sandler doesn't mean anything -- he's been in plenty of dramas. Orrr it's possible he's got a cameo of some kind for a light moment in what might otherwise be a serious movie. Having said all that, Rogan's the wrong choice for Britt Reid, the movie DOES sound terribly lame so far, and it doesn't really sound like they've got a good handle on the property at this point.
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Kplan:
Uhhh...where in the above article does it say that The Green Hornet film is going to be a comedy? Rogan has said in...More »