Booo. Here I thought it's going to be really cool to see Stephen Chow deliver an English-language film—and from a script by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, no less—but Variety reports that it won't be happening. Chow has dropped out of directing The Green Hornet, although he's still on board to play Kato.
Chow reportedly left the project due to "creative differences." Given Chow's usual puns-meets-slapstick type of humor, I can see how it differs from Rogen and Goldberg's more raunchy dialogue-based comedy. The pic is still planning to shoot in the Spring, so they're setting up a replacement director in order to stay on track. Expect a new director to be announced before the New Year.
May we suggest... David Gordon Green?
Based on the popular radio show and 60's TV show, The Green Hornet is a big screen adaptation that maintains its action roots, but seeing how Seth Rogen is playing the titular hero, it's expected that the movie will adopt a more comedic take on the character. Funnyman and martial artist Stephen Chow is steeping into the role of Kato, Green Hornet's sidekick that was originally played by Bruce Lee on the television show.
It's being planned for release in June 2010.
