THE GREEN HORNET stings a trailer

From ComingSoon.net:



"Hollywood was host to a very special reception this evening as guests gathered at Mann's Chinese 6 for the first ever look at The Green Hornet trailer that just debuted online. Joining the private screening was director Michel Gondry, star Seth Rogen, writer Evan Goldberg and producer Neal Moritz, who fielded questions with an audience of journalists and their friends.

Q: 'Can you sum up the basic story in your own words?'

Seth Rogen: 'To explain it, I guess, briefly, I'm an irresponsible kind of idiot (as one might imagine) and my father dies and I form a friendship with someone else who did not have the highest opinion towards him. One of his employees, Kato. Through that friendship, we realize that maybe we can create this kind of thing that will help us both live out our dreams. In time, we realize that each other's personalities are the most difficult thing to overcome and try to form this thing. That's how the story goes.'

Michel Gondry: 'We see a bit of his childhood and home. This friendship finds its resolution through his inner voice. He's talking to his dad in his mind.'

Q: 'Some of the shots look very different in terms of how the action is shot. Is this the final look of 'Kato Vision' or is it still evolving?'

Gondry: 'It's not really represented here. There's an outside of Kato vision. There's the way he sees things... [which is] more like a surprise I guess.'

Rogen: '[There are] two steps to 'Kato Vision' as I guess we've called it. The way you see the fights as an observer and then the way Kato sees fights in his own eyes.'

Q: 'Have you reconsidered how you stage fights, now that you're doing it in 3D?'

Gondry: 'To be honest, we were always hoping to go 3D. The way I put the camera was always [thinking] it would be so cool to see it in 3D. We pushed a little more of the effects. The way the fight works... the use of the 3D to split the screen. We sort of always wanted to do it in 3D.'

Q: 'This is the first time an audience has seen any of the movie? How involved were the four of you in deciding what went into the trailer? Do you have another version of this trailer?'

Rogen: 'There have been a lot of versions of this trailer. We were pretty involved. We watched it every step of the way. I have to acknowledge, honestly, that our perceptions of the movie are different sometimes to your general person who knows absolutely nothing about the movie... I'm sure every person in this audience knows a millions times more about the Green Hornet than 99% of people who will be seeing this trailer. And some of you came to set and saw another thing... We really had to keep reminding ourselves that we were presenting to people who knew nothing about the Green Hornet. And we really wanted to make sure that it portrayed the real feel of the movie more than anything.'

Neal Mortiz: 'We really showed it a lot and we got a lot of feedback. We tested the trailer a lot of times quite a few times to make sure that what we liked about it was the same thing that the audience was going to like about it as well.'

Gondry: 'We wanted to make sure our enthusiasm for the story and the characters would be portrayed. We really worked close. For the first time I'm really excited about the movie.'

Moritz: 'The goal of the movie is the relationship between Kato and Britt and in the subsequent trailer we really want to develop that more.'

Rogen: 'We have to introduce the idea of the Green Hornet to people first. There will be more trailers and more advertisements down the line and we can explore the intricacies of what the movie is about. To make sure people understand the general concept of what it is we are doing.'

Q: 'There's sort of been the idea in the past that Kato is more the superhero and the Green Hornet is a work in progress? Is that still an aspect that will remain?'

Evan Goldberg: 'Kato is definitely the more skilled individual. We joke about it with Seth that he had to get in shape to do the movie and Jay didn't. He was in shape. It was inherently there. He is a very talented, genius kind of guy and Seth is a normal guy.'

Rogen: 'We didn't want the joke to be, 'Look at this!' One of complete and utter goofiness and complete physical incompetence at all times. And we knew that, ultimately, it had to live up to the expectations of a superhero movie and needs to have the kind of action, full-blown action that people expect from that genre and we knew that we couldn't just rest on the comedy to make it interesting.'

Moritz: 'Something they create together.'

Q: 'What kind of tone are you going for? What kind of tone do you see emerging? Balancing action and comedy? This is clearly not some kind of dark superhero film.'

Gondry: 'There is comedy but, overall, the tone is not a spoof. You get that in the trailer. We never intended to do something comical. We really embraced the superhero feature and there are serious parts. Of course, there is some comedy but I think it's more of an action movie.'

Moritz: 'We always talk about it as an action movie with comedy versus a comedy with action.'

Rogen: 'Michel and Sally [Menke], our editor, are really coming up with a lot of interesting ways to tell the story, Both of them are really great at that. She had Pulp Fiction and movies like that, which really are great at telling the narrative, the story and it's really amazing to see what they've done in the editing room and how giant a creative step the movie has taken, leaving it in Michel and Sally's hands for a little while. It's really exciting for us as fans to see our movie filmed and then taken to this whole other place.'

Q: 'How close does storyline fit into the comic?'

Rogen: 'The Green Hornet comic has nothing to do with our movie. Other than it's called The Green Hornet. Unless you love the Green Hornet comics, then it's exactly based on the comic. We clearly all got our ideas from the same source. There are some elements that are the same. But I think naturally when you are trying to update something, the ideas are going to go to similar places, but there is no collaboration on behalf of comic and the filmmakers.'

Goldberg: 'The one constant is that he poses as a criminal to catch criminals.'

Gondry: 'What is important to say is that the Green Hornet has so many forms. It was a comic. Then it was on television and then you have Bruce Lee. We had to digest all of that to find what would be our version of the Green Hornet. As a director, I was thinking to make a movie before it was asked to be a film. And as well the notion of Kato has evolved so much over the years. He was supposed to be Japanese and then, during WWII because of the war, they had to change the character so he was not Japanese. He was Filipino and then he was Chinese. So all of that inspired us. We respected that, but we had to bring it to a place that it would fit now.'

Q: '3D conversion process has gotten criticisms lately because of Clash of the Titans and Alice in Wonderland. What measures are you taking to avoid pitfalls?'

Moritz: 'That's why we moved the release date back. We wanted the 3D to look really good. The only way was buying ourselves time to make it look good. We already have some sequences that we've turned over now in 3D so we have plenty of time to actually make it good and do it the right way as opposed to Clash of the Titans which was done in six to eight weeks.'

Rogen: 'It's like any other visual effect. There's really good applications of it and really bad applications of it. It all depends on whose hands it's in. You look at CG sometimes and it's terrible. You look at CG sometimes and it's great. I think it's no different. Very good versions and very bad versions. I think it's like any other creative decision. It's going to be gauged by the levels of enthusiasm... of the creative people behind it. It's something that we all feel really strongly about... something that we've always wanted to do... since the first idea of this movie came along. I've been working in 3D movies for years. I started in Monsters vs Aliens almost four or five years ago. It was then that I traveled around the world with Jeffrey Katzenberg, hearing him pontificate on 3D and what a big evolution it was going to be. So its always something I've been a big fan of. It started in the society of the 60's I believe so its always been something we've been big supporters of and I think just like I said there's good versions and bad versions and we hope to do a really good version.'

Gondry: 'You could imagine a movie in 2D in 3D and transform it. If you take this type of movie where they really use the full depth of field. This movie, if it was transformed in 3D, would use much more fast editing. And even before we could do it in 3D, we'd talk about the fight or we'd say, 'Okay, we don't want to rely too much on the other team, so we didn't make it so fast with editing and this is a very important element to make 3D work well.''

Moritz: 'We didn't make a rash decision by any means. We saw a lot of demonstrations with a lot of different companies and then ultimately brought in a number of these companies into the editing room and then went through the film with them together and really looked at the pitfalls, positives and negatives to doing it. And kind of weighed those all out before we even approached the studio and asked them to let us turn it into 3D which is obviously a huge financial impact. After that as well. And I remember Amy Pascal said to us, 'This is going to cost a lot of extra money. Are you sure about this?' And we were because we had done so much homework on it. And we did not want to be reprimanded like Clash of the Titans was. We really wanted to take our time and do it right.'

Rogen: 'First thing people like you say is that the studio is forcing us to do it and it's a quick fix. The funny thing is it could not be more opposite. It was us begging and pleading as creative entities to the studio to allow us to have this tool to tell our story in an original way. And were super excited that were able to do it.'

Gondry: 'There were some ideas. The father relationship is such that, even after he's passed away, he keeps talking to him in his mind. Several times. We got this idea to represent his father by his silhouette, which you can only see if you watch the movie in 3D. In 2D, you would hear the voice but in 3D, he's going to pop out. So that's why we were so thrilled to be able to execute this in 3D. We always had the voiceover of the father in the story but then when we decided to do it in 3D, it was perfect.'

Q: 'In marketing this film, are you gonna try to evoke the Bruce Lee thing? Some kind of selling point?'

Rogen: 'If you ask most high schoolers who Bruce Lee is they will say that it someone they sit next to in English class. I don't think that it would. I think its not something that would never be my instinct to do and not to attempt. Jay Chou is one the coolest dudes I've ever met or been around. What we say is that he's like Steve McQueen. He does everything cooler than anyone else does anything. And I think Jay... Man, I've never been psyched to show up to work and be completely overshadowed by somebody on a regular basis. And it's just how it is. Jay in his own right will win people over. He is an incredibly impressive and charismatic performer. Jay is an incredibly talented martial artist and he's just a rad dude and I don't think we will need to do that.'

Moritz: 'No one here thinks that we will replace or be better than what Bruce Lee was.'

Rogen: 'Yeah, we didn't try. Just as different as I am from Van Williams, Jay is from Bruce Lee. We wanted to create new characters in telling it.'

Gondry: 'Of course, for any actor from Asia, it's a very heavy task over Bruce Lee. So Jay never wanted to emulate Bruce Lee by any means. Did not want to use his type of expression, sound or scream. So out of respect we didn't want to mimic him.'

Rogen: 'Yeah, he definitely was very conscious of not doing a Bruce Lee impression. He wanted to make his own character. He was into that and thank god he did because he makes a great Kato.'

Q: 'Since the character is lesser known than, say, Superman or Spider-Man or other superhero movies, is there any concern going into that? Marketing-wise?'

Rogen: 'For whoever saw the first trailer and then this one. I think that thought is exactly what led us to say this is the approach that we need to take. Like we look at Iron Man. I remember when Iron Man came out. I drove by a billboard with my girlfriend and she said, 'Who's Iron Man?' and they did a good job at taking Iron Man and, believe it or not, he was a relatively unknown Marvel character when that first movie came out. And they did a good job at introducing it. They didn't really tease it. There was no teaser. They just kind of showed you exactly what it was and that's something that we talked about. That they successfully took a pretty obscure character and made him well known and introduced him to people and that's kind of what we realized we had to do. Not show our version of the Green Hornet, but to say, 'Here's what... the Green Hornet is....'

Q: 'We are a month away from Comic-Con? Are you guys gonna be there and what are you gonna show the fans?'

Moritz: 'We are definitely going to be at Comic-Con and will be there with a big presence. We are going to show a piece of the film. As long as the 3D is done to the standard that we want it, we will show the trailer in 3D.'

Rogen: 'Yeah, we've already been looking at stuff to show. We are all Comic-Con fans and as comic book nerds and it's important to us to show respect for those people who go out there...'

Goldberg: 'Show the whole movie backwards. With voice over of the teaser guy.'

Q: 'Is there more of bringing your Michel Gondry style to a comic book? I didn't see it much in the trailer. Is there more?'

Gondry: 'There is more. I don't want really to... There is a danger of having a shtick. It's different than you will see in the movie. There's a difference between a trailer and a movie. That's traditional for a movie. There is some sequences that we're still working out that you didn't see in the trailer, that's more of my specific signature. But when we met, they said we want to see Michel Gondry sequences and I said no.'

Rogen: 'Originally, I was going to be made a string.'

Q: 'Seth you talked about always being a comic book fan, is this the first time you're getting an action figure that's actually you?'

Rogen: 'I have a B.O.B., but that's not really an action figure. It's a blue toy. But yeah, it's pretty cool. I'm excited, but yeah, it's my instinct to blow it up with firecrackers. I might do that.'

Q: 'More than people are saying 'This is the Green Hornet movie' than are saying 'This is the Seth Rogen action movie'. You slimmed down. What is your approach to getting people over that hump to Seth Rogen as an action hero?'

Rogen: 'My guy is not exactly like Bruce Wayne. The whole story of the movie is that I'm an irresponsible idiot who is trying to get his life together and do something worthwhile. So, as an irresponsible idiot, I'm quite good. And that's why we always knew it was an easy buy. We didn't want to just tell people what the whole story of the movie was.... But that's why we knew it was going to be fine because the story wasn't that of a completely serious well-groomed man who decides to become a superhero. It's about a guy who is grappling with his own irresponsible old activities and tendencies and can he put those all aside and do something worthwhile and that's why I think, as an actor, I thought it was something I could tackle. It displayed what people expected of me and what maybe I could show as a growth through the character.'

Gondry: 'What I was hoping when I took the job, basically is that my contribution could help that. I think that with Jim Carrey, as good as he was at being a comedian, he was excellent at being much more dramatic in Eternal Sunshine. I think Seth is selling himself short a little bit because I think that he really conveys a really complex and interesting character and what I hope is that people will see him evolve.'

Rogen: 'It's true that part of the reason we decided to approach Michel was that we knew that it was gonna be something different, taking it in a new direction and that he was traditionally someone who worked with comedic actors and took them in new directions. Just as he had taken people not traditionally known as comedic actors and made them much funnier than they were before as Kate Winslet in Eternal Sunshine. That's something that was one of his strengths and something that we hoped he could bring to this.'

Q: 'Who was really the champion among you guys who said to Sony, 'We need to make THE Green Hornet movie?'

Moritz: 'It's a good question. We were all champions at different times.'

Rogen: 'Yeah, we've all been champions at different times. Where does an idea come from? I'm sure Inception will answer that for all of us. It's hard to think... I mean Michel Gondry was attached to a Green Hornet movie 13 years ago. It's hard to say who is the first one who wanted to do it. I would say that no matter what they are making a Thor movie and no matter what they are making a Captain America movie. But they are not no matter what making a Green Hornet movie. We had to work really hard to have them let us do it. It wasn't a given that it was eventually going to get made no matter what. We were lucky enough to be the guys that got to do it. We really creatively saw this as an opportunity that was exciting to us and we've all fought really hard. A lot of uphill battles. A lot of bad press, a lot of strikes against us and it hasn't been easy but ultimately we are all really proud of the movie. We all love the movie and I'm excited to be able to show you some of it. I was just saying to Evan as we were walking up here, 'Today is the first day I believe this might get released,' which is exciting.

Moritz: 'I've been involved in a movie where we had so many starts and stops and I think it was August of last year that Amy Pascal was on vacation and I think that was the reason we got to go ahead. It's been a great experience.'

Rogen: 'Honestly, it's something we all strongly agreed. We were passionate about. It's an idea for some reason. The relationship between those two guys. The idea of exploring that relationship. It's creative. Evan and I, as writing partners, Michel as the director, make these relationships and you try to make something out of it and it's something that we all felt very strongly about. It was not a movie that was going to get made no matter what. It's something we had to will into being. We had to work to make happen. If we didn't do it there would not be a 'Green Hornet' movie on screen right now.'

Q: 'Seth, you're know for improv. Was there much improv on set?'

Rogen: 'We definitely wanted it at times in the relationships. When the relationships have that spontaneous feel. I just think that me and Evan found something that works really well. The things in movies that people relate to a lot and the ways characters interact. They see themselves in the characters and a lot of that is through improv. Jay is amazing at it and even in that thing 'I don't want to touch you.' He improvised that and we were joking around one day on a scene and, yes there was a lot and everyone got really into it. I mean, obviously, as an action movie there's limitations to what you can do, but it doesn't have a rigid feel to it. It's a very loose conversational feel.'

Gondry: 'I think always my interest in making movies is to have something really technical mixed with something that was not so formal... something free. I realized very soon that it's not because there are constraints like that and there is a lot of it in-camera effect. The person wants us to be stiff. That is a lot of time the actor. They don't think too much about what they have to do to act or be funny. This context is a very good or great performance.'

Q: 'What was it like working with Christoph Waltz? What comes from his background in European cinema?'

Rogen: 'Working with him was great. I would say that his character is a very unique villain, I hope. Not something we're gonna talk about a lot because I think it's something that people are excited to discover on their own. Christoph is a great actor. Really fun. He embraced coming and doing things in our strange way with open arms. And I don't know. He's technically a very impressive actor to watch. And the way he does things is very demanding at times. At the same time he is very nice and collaborative. I would love to work with him many more times.'

Q: 'Have you started work on score? Can you talk about the process and what we should expect?'

Gondry: 'Danny Elfman is doing the score. It's in the beginning stages.'

Rogen: 'Watching him and Michel weird out together is pretty rad.'

Q: 'How was working with Cameron Diaz? How much did she get into all the action?'

Moritz: 'Nicest lady in whole world.'

Rogen: 'As to how much she gets involved in the action, we should keep that somewhat under wraps. She's amazing. She gets very involved creatively. The character is very important to us that it was not just an obligatory character. The character added a lot to the movie both comedicaly and story-wise. She had a lot of great ideas. Anytime someone that famous puts any extra effort into anything. I really feel great about it. Anyone that famous... you don't expect them to get involved at all. Evan literally had a party one night and she showed up when Evan was really drunk and literally gave him two hours worth of notes and made Evan drunkenly type them on his computer. And I thought wow, that's so impressive.'

Goldberg: 'She came in like ten times to help Jay Chou learn English.'

Rogen: 'His English at first was a little sketchy at times. She put an enormous amount of time and energy into making sure that their scenes were natural and understandable and very loose and funny. Again, it’s the kind of thing where you're like 'She's too... famous to be doing this. She should be on her island.'"

THE GREEN HORNET wings onto IMAX 3D

From ComingSoon.net:

"IMAX and Sony Pictures announced today that The Green Hornet will also be released in IMAX 3D. The full announcement:

IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Releasing announced today that The Green Hornet, the highly anticipated adaptation of the radio and television masked superhero character will be released to IMAX theatres, simultaneously with the film's wide domestic 2D and 3D release on January 14, 2011. The film will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience and presented in IMAX 3D.

'We are tremendously excited that The Green Hornet will be released in IMAX 3D as part of our wide release of the film,' said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. 'When you have a film that has such an imaginative and unique depth, scope, and visual style, you really should experience the film with the outstanding 3D elements that the filmmakers are delivering. We believe The IMAX 3D Experience will offer audiences a truly state of the art cinematic experience.'

'Superhero movies typically play very well with IMAX audiences, making the release of The Green Hornet a great way to kick off our 2011 slate,' said IMAX Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Gelfond. 'We're pleased with the continued expansion of our relationship with Sony Pictures, and we're excited to work with them to reach our growing audience base with another quality film.'

'We're excited to welcome Michel Gondry to the list of acclaimed directors who have released films into the IMAX network and we believe his innovative creative vision will play very well in IMAX,' added Greg Foster, Chairman and President, Filmed Entertainment. 'This film is ideally suited to our fanboy audience, and in IMAX 3D, they will be transported into the world of The Green Hornet.'

In the film, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles' largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid's shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon and gadget imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt's new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls. Directed by Michel Gondry. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, based upon 'The Green Hornet' radio series created by George W. Trendle. The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz."

THE GREEN HORNET goes 3D

From ComingSoon.net:

"Sony Pictures has decided to give the Michel Gondry-directed The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen, the 3D treatment. Because of this, the studio has announced it is moving the film back from December 22 to January 14, 2011--Martin Luther King Jr. weekend--so that it will be released when there are sufficient 3D screens available."

Have Yourself a Merry LITTLE FOCKERS

From ComingSoon.net:

"It's the release date shuffle today as a couple anticipated movies grab new dates as well as the announcement of a couple new Universal summer releases. Universal has announced an update to their 2010 line-up including the move of their comedy threequel Little Fockers, being pushed back from its original July 30 release to come out instead on December 22, in order to take full advantage of the holidays much like the previous installment, Meet the Fockers. Already scheduled for a Dec. 22 release were The Green Hornet [and] Gulliver's Travels.... Meanwhile, Edgar Wright's anticipated follow-up to Hot Fuzz, the movie version of Brian Lee O'Malley's graphic novel Scott Pilgrim vs. the World, starring Michael Cera, has finally settled on its summer release date of August 13. It faces the Lionsgate action-thriller The Expendables.

We're still waiting for confirmation that Warner Bros' remake of Clash of the Titans has indeed been pushed back to Easter weekend to give some extra time for its 3D conversion."

IT'S A FRAT PACK SHOW DOWN!!! Owen Wilson/Ben Stiller tag-teaming with Jack Black against 27-year-old newcomer Seth Rogen!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!! FRIDAY!!!

(technically, Seth Rogen is not actually sure he is in the Frat Pack. I would go so far to say as yes, he is. Ben Stiller actually loathes the term 'Frat Pack'.)

THE GREEN HORNET meets John Connor!

From SuperHeroHype.com:

"Skipping over all the personal stuff in this article at People about Edward Furlong, you'll come across the following:

'He has gotten really upset – anybody would,' the friend says of Furlong, who is slated to start production on The Green Hornet this weekend. 'We're trying to get him back to a place where he's calming down and talking to everybody.'

That's the first time we've heard of the Terminator 2: Judgment Day star having a role in The Green Hornet, opening in theaters on December 17, 2010. If confirmed, he's joining Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour, Tom Wilkinson and Christoph Waltz in the Michel Gondry-directed comic book adaptation."

Where have you been, Mr. John Connor?

THE GREEN HORNET gets a villain!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Christoph Waltz, who stole the show in Quentin Tarantino's Inglourious Basterds, has been cast as the villain in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet! Deadline Hollywood reports:

'I'm told that ICM's actor Christoph Waltz who won Best Actor at the Cannes Film Festival for playing a in Inglourious Basterds (and is a shoo-in for an Oscar nomination) has now been cast as villain Chudnofsky in Sony's The Green Hornet opposite Seth Rogen and Cameron Diaz.'"

Never heard of him. Never saw the movie.

TRON LEGACY speeds into December

From ComingSoon.net

"Walt Disney Pictures has set a December 17, 2010 release date for Tron Legacy. The move puts the highly-anticipated film up against Sony's The Green Hornet and The Smurfs Movie, as well as Warner Bros.' Yogi Bear (We assume at least Smurfs will move, since that's two Sony releases on the same date.)

Tron Legacy is directed by Joseph Kosinski and stars Jeff Bridges, Garrett Hedlund, Olivia Wilde, Bruce Boxleitner, James Frain, Beau Garrett and Michael Sheen.

In the 3D adventure, Sam Flynn (Hedlund), the tech-savvy 27-year-old son of Kevin Flynn (Bridges), looks into his father's disappearance and finds himself pulled into the same world of fierce programs and gladiatorial games where his father has been living for 25 years. Along with Kevin's loyal confidant (Wilde), father and son embark on a life-and-death journey across a visually-stunning cyber universe that has become far more advanced and exceedingly dangerous."

AHH!! Now I'm torn between The Green Hornet and Tron Legacy. I can easily skip The Smurfs Movie and Yogi Bear (unless they have insanely good casts).

THE GREEN HORNET finally starts production

From ComingSoon.net:

"A classic character of film, television, radio and comic books returns to the big screen in Columbia Pictures' feature film The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen as the vigilante crime-fighter. Production is underway on the Michel Gondry-helmed film, which is produced by Neal H. Moritz (I Am Legend, The Fast and the Furious) and executive produced by Michael Grillo (The Accidental Tourist), Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg (Superbad, Pineapple Express), Ori Marmur (Evan Almighty) and George W. Trendle, Jr. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, based upon 'The Green Hornet' radio series created by George W. Trendle and shoots entirely in Los Angeles. The film is set for release December 17, 2010.

In addition to Rogen, the film also stars Taiwanese actor-pop star Jay Chou as Kato, Cameron Diaz, Edward James Olmos ('Battlestar Galactica'), David Harbour (Revolutionary Road) and Tom Wilkinson (Valkyrie). Nicolas Cage is also in negotiations to appear in the film.

Academy Award®-nominee John Schwartzman (Night at the Museum: Battle of the Smithsonian) is the director of photography. Production designer is Owen Paterson (The Matrix Revolutions), Kym Barrett (Speed Racer) serves as costume designer and Michael Tronick (Mr. & Mrs. Smith) is editing."

Well, it's about time!! I pity the film that goes up against The Green Hornet. But wait -- is that a lightcycle I hear?

UPDATE: First cast photo from The Green Hornet's first day of production (thanks to SuperHeroHype!

THE GREEN HORNET flies away to December 2010!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Seth Rogen's movie based on the pulp and television hero The Green Hornet has been moved from its original date of July 7, 2010 to its new date of December 17, 2010 according to Box Office Mojo. No reason for the move was given but one can presumes it's to give the movie more time for post-production--principal photography hasn't begun yet--and to get it away from Robert Rodriguez's Predators relaunch. (Currently, Sony had set that date for the 3D Smurfs movie, which one assumes will be moved itself, since currently, it's up against Warner Bros' animated Yogi Bear movie.) "

NOOOOOOO!!!!

Where is this movie going? Does Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry care anymore?

UPDATE: Apparently they do!

"HitFix.com has gotten in touch with Seth Rogen for a reaction/explanation of the delay, and Rogen told them that he and his creative partners Evan Goldberg and director Michel Gondry are 'relieved and psyched about the change' because it does give them more time to finish and promote the movie, including an appearance at next year's Comic-Con."

Nicolas Cage wants to get stung by THE GREEN HORNET also!

From ComingSoon.net:

"Columbia Pictures is in early talks with Nicolas Cage to play the gangster villain in The Green Hornet.

Cameron Diaz is negotiating to play a reporter and love interest in the Michel Gondry-directed film that stars Seth Rogen as the masked crime fighter.

The picture is moving full steam ahead for a fall start date, even as the studio looks to replace Stephen Chow, who was going to play sidekick Kato. Rogen and Evan Goldberg wrote the script and Neal Moritz is producing through his Original Films.

The Green Hornet is targeting a July 9, 2010."

Okay. I love Nicolas Cage movies despite what other people say about his movies. Ghost Rider wasn't as cool of a movie as I thought it would be but it's a superhero/Western.

UPDATE:

From ComingSoon.net:

"Nicolas Cage won't be playing the villain in Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, which director Michel Gondry has started filming in Los Angeles.

Sources... say that the studio is on the hunt for a new actor to play the villain in the comic book adaptation. No scenes with Cage were shot for the movie.

Columbia is planning a December 17, 2010 release for the pic, which stars Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou, Edward James Olmos, David Harbour and Tom Wilkinson."

Cameron Diaz wants to get stung by THE GREEN HORNET

From ComingSoon.net:

"'Entertainment Weekly' is reporting that Cameron Diaz is considering an offer to play the female lead in The Green Hornet, opposite Seth Rogen.

The magazine says a deal hasn't been sealed yet, but that she is in early talks for the role.

Michel Gondry is set to direct the film based on a script by Rogen and his writing partner Evan Goldberg. Columbia Pictures is planning a July 9, 2010 release."

Good to see Cameron Diaz is making a return to comedy especially since she delved into extreme drama (My Sister's Keeper) and extreme horror (The Box). By the way, Rogen and Goldberg wrote the hit Superbad. Could this spell success for them again?

THE GREEN HORNET Updates

If there ever was a bigger sigh of relief that I've ever given, this is bigger. And much, much better.

From AintItCool.com:

"The Observe & Report junket was held this morning in Los Angeles, which means Seth Rogen's been answering Green Hornet and Funny People questions since he rolled out of bed. According to Collider's Steve Weintraub, he was extremely forthcoming with regards to the former - which, despite acquiring a new director, could be going before cameras in June. Most interestingly, it sounds like Green Hornet director Michel Gondry will be muting his signature handmade aesthetic in order to, presumably, deliver a more studio-friendly summer film. Here's what Rogen told the junketeers:


'Me and Evan have actually approached him with ideas, like maybe... you could do some of your weird people made out of string and s*** like that. He’s like, 'No, I don’t want to any of that. The fact that you think I want to do that drives me crazy and makes me never want to do anything like that again.'


It also sounds like they'll be doing an origin story as well. Stephen Chow is still part of the team. Rogen mentioned meeting with him and Gondry the previous week. The fact that Chow is still around and interested after stepping down as director is a good sign."

Now I'm most definitely 100% looking forward to The Green Hornet. It will be released June 25, 2010.

Michel Gondry gets stung by THE GREEN HORNET

From ComingSoon.net:

"Michel Gondry is in negotiations to direct Columbia Pictures' The Green Hornet, starring Seth Rogen and Stephen Chow, it was announced today by Doug Belgrad and Matt Tolmach, presidents of Columbia Pictures. The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, who will also executive produce. Neal H. Moritz will produce the film through his Original Film production company. The film will begin shooting this summer and is set for release June 25, 2010. The film will be executive produced by Michael Grillo.

Commenting on the announcement, Tolmach said, "From the very beginning, Seth, Evan, and Neal wanted this film to stand out from the pack with its originality. You couldn't ask for a better director than Michel Gondry to bring that to life."

Moritz added, "We're huge fans of Michel Gondry. Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind and all his films are as daring as they are extraordinary, fueled by creative ideas that spring from his unique worldview. Our first rule, always, is to make the movie that we want to see, and that couldn't be truer than with Michel bringing his stylish and original touch to the helm."

Said Gondry, "I'm very excited about The Green Hornet and all that I hope to bring to it. This story has always been close to me and now Seth & Evan have written a script that is both funny and real - the best of both worlds. I cannot wait to further collaborate with them on it."

Gondry, an award-winning film, commercial, and music video director, is set to release his most recent film, Tokyo!, a triptych film telling three stories about the iconic city, on March 6, 2009. Gondry recently released his film Be Kind Rewind, which inspired Gondry's debut book, "You'll Like This Film Because You're In It: The Be Kind Rewind Protocol." Gondry's recent films include The Science of Sleep, Dave Chappelle's Block Party, and Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind, for which Gondry received a 2005 Academy Award for original screenplay, for his contribution to the storyline alongside Charlie Kaufman. Gondry co-produced both Be Kind Rewind and The Science of Sleep through his production company Partizan Films.

First - yes, the way you say his name is pronounced "Michelle". Second - I like my clever titles. Third - I loved Be Kind Rewind. Fourth - I hope he doesn't make The Green Hornet too weird.

Adam Sandler in THE GREEN HORNET?

According to ComingSoon.net:


"In an article at The Los Angeles Times, the author writes that there's a possibility that Adam Sandler will appear in Sony's The Green Hornet opposite Seth Rogen:

'I also heard a random rumor about the 'Hornet' film: Two different people in the industry told me that Adam Sandler has a brief but key role in the movie as a certain surprise superhero...I heard which one, too, but I don't want to ruin it. Sandler and Rogen have another project together as well.'

The studio has yet to announce a new director after Stephen Chow dropped out (he's still expected to play Kato), but it is still targeting a June 25, 2010 release."


Hmm. Well, in the 60's, Green Hornet and Kato appeared on Batman (yes, the Adam West one) to promote their show (which bombed for not being as campy as Batman in the years before The Incredible Hulk). So maybe, Adam Sandler could be the Caped Crusader? Who knows?

Is Seth Rogen's GREEN HORNET Dead?

From ComingSoon.net:

"Drew McWeeny of the fledgling entertainment site HitFix had been hearing from various unnamed sources at the Sundance Film Festival that Seth Rogen's plan to bring the '50s pulp hero The Green Hornet may have stalled with the departure of Stephen Chow as the film's director, as reported last month.
Drew says: 'Ever since Stephen Chow started to waffle about his participation in the film, I've been hearing rumors that there were major hesitations at Sony. Then at Sundance, I heard several people say that the film was off completely. I spoke this afternoon with a source close to the film, and while they didn't call it completely dead, they did say it is 'highly unlikely' that the film will shoot in 2009 at all.'
Currently, Sony still has The Green Hornet listed on their release schedule for June 25, 2010 giving Rogen plenty of time to find a new director and a new Cato, but if it gets moved or pulled from that great summer release date, we can probably start taking these rumors more seriously."


All I have to say? NOOOOOOOOO!!!!!! SETH ROGEN PLEASE RECONSIDER!!


UPDATE: Apparently, Rogen has reconsidered!!


According to IMDB.com:
"Funnyman Seth Rogen has blasted reports his forthcoming comic book movie The Green Hornet is headed for the scrap heap. After years of development and numerous names touted to helm and star in the project, the new incarnation of masked crime-fighter the Green Hornet was unveiled last year, with Rogen attached as lead actor and Stephen Chow signed to direct and star as sidekick Kato.
Hollywood insiders claimed the film would be cancelled after Chow resigned from his role as director, and producers failed to find a replacement.
But Rogen is adamant the project is still going ahead, confirming the adaptation of the Bruce Lee-starring TV series should hit theatres by 2010.
He writes in an email to website HitFix.com: 'The Green Hornet has many people working for it, including production designers, costume designers and many conceptual artists, office staff, etc.
'(The studio heads) have every intention on making it, and assuming we're able to hire a new director in the upcoming weeks, which seems like a distinct possibility, it should still hit the release date.'"

THE GREEN HORNET director steps down

Stephen Chow, the guy from KUNG FU HUSTLE, has resigned as director of The Green Hornet but will stay on as Kato, the Green Hornet's martial-arts assistant.

The Green Hornet himself will be played by comedian Seth Rogen, who also co-wrote the film.

The film is, of course, based on the pulp hero - a newspaper publisher by day who by night goes out in his masked "Green Hornet" identity to fight crime as a vigilante, accompanied by his similarly masked Asian assistant Kato and driving a car, equipped with advanced technology, called "the Black Beauty".

The film will be released July 2, 2010.

IGN reports:
"The tone of the film will be a 'very intense action movie' but also focus on the humorous nature of the relationship between Kato and the titular central character."