Columbia Pictures Options The Green Hornet

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http://www.comingsoon.net/news/movienews.php?id=19453

Source: Columbia Pictures
March 20, 2007


Columbia Pictures has optioned the rights to the Green Hornet, the classic crime-fighting hero whose adventures were chronicled over the generations on radio, television, and in comic books. The studio will adapt The Green Hornet into a feature film produced by Neal H. Moritz and Original Film, it was announced today by Matt Tolmach and Doug Belgrad, presidents of production for Columbia Pictures.

Columbia optioned the rights to The Green Hornet from Moritz who acquired the rights from Green Hornet Inc. Commenting on the announcement, Moritz said, "I couldn't be more thrilled to be developing this world renowned property with the people who brought Spider-Man to the screen. I can't imagine a studio better equipped or more prepared to handle this kind of material than Sony. With the radio show, television program, comic books, and novels, there is ample source material to bring this classic crime-fighter to life."

Tolmach said, "We have an enormous amount of passion and commitment to this character and are looking forward to developing 'The Green Hornet' into what we hope will be an amazing new franchise for the studio."

The Green Hornet made his debut on January 31, 1936 on WXYZ Detroit, the creation of the station's George W. Trendle and Fran Striker, who also created the Lone Ranger. The series, which ran until 1952 on the Mutual and NBC Blue networks, followed the adventures of Britt Reid, a bored playboy whose life is changed when he inherits his father's crusading newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. He saves the life of Kato, a Japanese man with incredible technical and martial-arts skills, who becomes Britt's closest ally -- and transforms Britt's car into the supercharged Black Beauty, which gives them an edge as they search for evidence to expose the city's underworld in the newspaper. When Britt and Kato witness a brutal mob hit, Britt invents his secret identity -- taking his name from his powerful car's defective horn. A skilled fighter and expert marksman, the Green Hornet uses two special, non-lethal guns to subdue criminals: one fires a potent knock-out gas while the other produces the "Hornet's Sting" -- an electric shock.

Following its successful run on radio, The Green Hornet ran in several comic books. In 1966, the character made the jump to the small screen for one season on the ABC television network, starring Van Williams as the Green Hornet and catapulting Bruce Lee, who played Kato, to stardom.

Original Film's Ori Marmur will oversee development of the project on behalf of Moritz's production company. David Grace or Loeb and Loeb negotiated on behalf of Green Hornet, Inc. Howard Abramson of Behr Abramson & Kaller represented Moritz
 
Sounds interesting. I'd definitely be interested in seeing a reimagining or a classic version of the character.

I wonder if they will do a modern version or a dated version of the 1930's.

I'm even open to a female Kato ala Kelly Hu if they were to go that route.

I would want a serious film though, and not a campy one.
 
I hope finally we see a Green Hornet film made. After the Kevin Smith fiasco, I thought man this film will never get made.
Good studio. Looks like Neal is excited about it.
Go for it!
 
I'll see it...good studio, good character, now let's see if they get a good script and cast...and director.

CAH
 
quotethe green hornet:lets's roll kato"
 
Ernie Reyes Jr. for Kato!
 
yeah! damn right,
ernie reyes jr never gets any decent roles,
he's a real legend!
remember the Last dragon ! he was only a kid then and was awesome!
and remember Turtles 2 ! he kicked ass there too!
and he beat the **** out of The Rock too!
come on!!
 
according to the SuperHeroHype Updates.. he's been signed to write and star.. :woot:

i'm guessing this will be a more comedic take..
 
Crap. I was hoping for a cool, serious take on The Green Hornet. Seth Rogen makes about as much sense as Ben Stiller for Captain America. This is going to suck, royally.
 
Hopefully, this deal will fall through and not happen. Otherwise, we're in for a suckfest, as Seth Rogen is just plain wrong for Britt.
 
WTF!!!!:whatever:

Well this is going to bomb big time. To bad, I like GH.:csad:
 
oh god this movie is gonna suck so bad its gonna make a hoover vac look like a pencil sharpener. who will they have for kato, Zac Efron!!!
 
Yes, devil's angel, this does suck. That's why I'm hoping this deal does not finalise.
 
God!,This is soooooooo dis hearting,why this sad tradition of urinating on characters that many hold in high regard,for a cheap laugh. Continues,is staggering.:whatever:
Hopefully this might fall through like so many other Green Hornet movies.:yay:
 
Is GH a DC character or an unaffiliated radio character like the Phantom & the Shadow? I know he ain't a Marvel character.
 
How do you guys know its gonna suck? Lets wait and see first before we start judging. It might take th Green Hornet in a better direction. Who Knows!!!
 
No, Mike...you're wrong.

Annoying fanboys have this awesome super power that allows them to see into the future and know that a movie WILL suck before ever seeing a single thing about it.

We should be so lucky :(
 
Well, Mike and Gammy79, I'm certainly not clairvoyant, but I am capable of logical deduction, and as soon as this news was announced it was clear that Sony is now planning to make The Green Hornet as a comedy. That was further confirmed by the follow-up story in the LA Times which specifically states that Rogen's pitch was a comedic take on the character.

Now, I like Seth Rogen; I think he's a funny guy. But I don't want to see The Green Hornet, or any other serious superhero property, made into a comedy. So this is disheartening news. If Hollywood wants to make a comedy film adaptations of characters who are meant to be funny, like Plastic Man or Lobo for instance, then that's fine, but given the historical tendency to treat the genre as campy comedy, any slide back in that direction should be resisted.

That's not to say that every superhero film needs to be grim and gritty, not by any means. There should be a variety of tones in superhero films, and some of them should be light adventure films with wit and charm. But I am highly dubious that a Seth Rogen version of The Green Hornet will be anything other than a comedic bastardization of the property.
 

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