Over the past few months, news continued to surface about actor Stephen Chow’s part in director Michel Gondry’s big-screen adaptation of “The Green Hornet”. This included Chow’s plans to play sidekick/chauffeur, Kato to actually directing the project. Chow eventually decided not to direct the project, but remained firm on starring in the film. Writer, producer, and actor Seth Rogen had even expressed that Chow was just as likely to be Kato as ever.
According to a recently released casting call, this may not be the case after all:
[KATO] ALL ASIAN ETHNICITIES, Male, 20’s – early 40’s. Brit Reid’s manservant/chauffeur by day and Green Hornet’s martial arts-skilled sidekick by night. Actor doesn’t have to have Martial Arts experience.
Yes, you read that right – “ALL ASIAN ETHNICITIES…Actor doesn’t have to have Martial Arts experience.” We are casting for the part that martial arts legend Bruce Lee played, are we not? Honestly, Hollywood, what in the world is going on with casting these days? It’s like they aren’t even trying anymore…eh, so what if the guy can’t fight; we’ll hire a stunt man and add some flashy sound effects. As for them considering all Asian ethnicities, I guess it’s not a terrible idea, although I can see that a sizable proportion of Chinese audiences will be somewhat bothered. On the other hand, there are plenty of lesser known Asian actors out there who can still kick ass on screen. Tony Jaa might even be a nice choice for the role. Any other suggestions?
I suppose this gives us an idea of the direction Michel Gondry and Seth Rogen are taking this film, though it’s likely not the direction many fans might’ve hoped for. We’re looking at what’s expected to be a superhero action film starring Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, and a passing Asian who can’t throw a decent punch – I wouldn’t be surprised if Stephen Chow said “To hell with this project, it’s time for Kung Fu Hustle 2.” Tell us what you guys think about this project.
The “Green Hornet” film we should be seeing:
Twitter
Facebook
My pokemon brings all the nerds to the yard. And they’re like, “You wanna trade cards?” Damn right, I wanna trade cards. I’ll trade this, but not my charizard.
Seth Rogen, superhero? It’s nearly impossible to wrap the mind around such an outlandish idea, almost on the same level as Sarah Palin as U.S. president or Ricky Gervais as the next recipient of the Golden Globes Lifetime Achievement Award. -Matt Foster