“The Green Hornet” Japanese Poster
The Green Hornet and Kato will once again be buzzin’ and kickin’ in a new Green Hornet animated TV series that’s currently in-development from Clerks filmmaker Kevin Smith and WildBrain production company.
Smith has long been a fan of the Green Hornet; in 2004, he was hired to write a feature film screenplay based on the character for Miramax. That project never materialized on screen – it was subsequently written by and starred Seth Rogen, directed by Michael Gondry and released in 2011 (via Deadline).
The Green Hornet originated as a radio show during the 1930s based on the vigilante Britt Reid character, owner/publisher of The Daily Sentinel. The 1966 TV series introduced Bruce Lee to the United States as Reid’s sidekick Kato. Seth Rogen, as Reid, and Jay Chou, as Kato, starred in Sony’s aforementioned The Green Hornet (2011), which was produced by Neal Moritz and directed by Michel Gondry, generating $227 million worldwide at the box office on a $120 million budget (via Variety).
The Green Hornet’s success in Hong Kong, where it was popularly known as The Kato Show, led to Lee starring in the feature films that would make him a pop culture icon. This show launched Bruce Lee’s adult television and film career (via Wiki).
In addition to the animated series, an all-new Green Hornet movie is in-the-works from Universal.
We’ll keep you updated on this project as we learn more.
