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It's Official - Seth Rogen's Green Hornet Has Been Greenlit

by Alex Billington
June 4, 2008

We've been talking about this rumored project for quite a while, but as of today it's now officially confirmed. Sony Pictures announces via Entertainment Weekly that The Green Hornet has been greenlit for a summer 2010 release. Actor Seth Rogen is still writing the script with his writing partner Evan Goldberg (the two also wrote Superbad) and will also star as Britt Reid. A director still hasn't been chosen, but it looks like the project is good enough to actually become a summer blockbuster. Back in November, Rogen revealed that they hadn't settled on whether they preferred a more comedic version or not, but that "it's not an origin story," instead "it's more like a regular action movie."

The Green Hornet is currently set for release on June 25th, 2010, which puts it in the running against Marvel's Thor (as previously announced), which hits theaters on June 4th that year. Rogen will play Britt Reid, a millionaire publisher-turned-masked crime fighter. The Green Hornet started as a radio serial in the 1930's before being turned into a comic book, film and TV series by the 1960s. The TV show was notable for the presence of Bruce Lee as sidekick Kato, a kung fu expert with a killer car. The character was created by Fran Striker and George Trendle, who also created The Lone Ranger, another radio character that's being adaptation, too.

Although this may not sound like the most exciting project at first glance, I encourage everyone to give it a chance! Seth Rogen won't be a bad Green Hornet and I've got a good feeling he's put together a screenplay that kicks some modern ass and delivers thrills for fans, too. You can't tell me that Superbad wasn't a great film and I think that proves that both Rogen and Goldberg are capable of bringing something very fresh and original to The Green Hornet, which is why I am actually in full support of this one. Would you rather have the same old action writers working on this or would you rather have the exhilaratingly out-of-the-ordinary Seth Rogen?

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Discateia

Seth Rothen in an action role? What?
Garrett.king

...............................................................................um...nooOOOOOOOOOO!
Garrett.king

erm. actually. I CAN say that superbad wasn't a great film. because i haven't been impressed with ANYTHING....ANYTHING..that seth rogen has done. And a couple of bad comedy movies does not give one the clear ability to pen a script for such a loved superhero as the Green Hornet. He will not deliver on any terms. This is going to be friggin' horrible.
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

This property has been radioactive since Kevin Smith tried to make it into a movie. There's a reason for that - NO ONE KNOWS WHO THE GREEN HORNET IS! Seriously. This will be like Alex Baldwin in The Shadow all over again.
reaperslogic

Wasn't KevinSmith connected to Green Hornet at some point? Either way why make this movie? A stoner superhero movie? Now for the list of likely Asian actors to play Kato? (Since in reality there are on five Asian actors who get work in Hollywood.) My money is on John Cho....
Ian

John Cho as the Green Hornet. Cmon, it'd be awesome.
http://handfulofwires.blogspot.com DCompose

I wanna see this. I have no idea what the Green Hornet is about. I hope it involves a diabolical mystery. Superbad was hilarious. Thread solved.
Janet

I don't know. Is it going to be serious or comedy/spoof? Hmm...too early to judge in my opinion but I guess it could go either way.
Movie Lover

Garrett, I agree with you. When I saw the title of this post, I thought, "There goes another geek who is making his childhood fantasy come true." But guess what? Probably half of American doesn't even know who the Green Lantern is! And even more really don't care to see a movie version. I wish these fanboys in Hollywood would get over their obsessions with bringing every comic book and superhero to screen. I'm kinda getting sick of it.
Movie Lover

Green Lantern, Green Hornet. See????? I have no clue who these two are, and they are so interchangeable...this will fail at the box office big time.
HornetSting

Ya know what kills me? His retarded Joel Schumacher-like attitude toward making this film. He states in an interview that he is going to "remain true to the 1966 TV series"... Hey you under-bitten, overstuffed, tiny-toothed flash in the pan, how about tossing in some of the radio program that ran from 1936 to 1952 instead trying to ape a TV series that ran for a single season. Did you even see Batman and Robin? Did you read any of the critical response to that giant steamer? Do you really intend to take a character that is essentially the DNA of American action heroes, and put nipples on him a la Schumacher? The horror. The Lone Ranger is puking in his hat about now. Here's a tip, get out now while you still have a career in comedy, and quit calling the Hornet's fanbase (your potential customers) WHINEY NERDS you fat chimp. I hate you.
Ox

Do you feel good about yourself, "HornetSting"? Get a rush out of ripping Seth Rogan on Firstshowing (which I am sure he cares about)? It's an adaptation. It's his interpretation of this idea. And he will do it well, and he will pad his fat and ever-growing stash of cash. But, you've got your comic books and your one bedroom apartment, right? Clearly you win here. Hats off to HornetSting.
greg

He better have is tubby ass in the gym right now! The Green Hornet radio show was the predecessor to many masked crime fighters to come after and should not be handled with a comedic take. The television show of the sixties was not campy or a spoof at all, and should never be confused with the tone of the Batman show of the same period. I stand by my declaration of 2 years a go - Quentin Tarantino would not only deliver the best Green Hornet movie imaginable, but he would twist the action/superhero genre and take it to whole new level! But of course he has no interest in the material, if he did he would have jumped on it when it was a Miramax property for years.
K-dog41

I totally agree!
Dominic

Alright, let's get at the center of the REAL Mystery: WHO is Seth Rogen's Rich, Connected Uncle, or strayed father, that can get him all these ridiculously bankable parts, WITHOUT HIM EVER HAVING PROVED ANYTHING!!! I don't find him very funny. Never had. And that's coming from a fan of Freaks & Geeks. THOSE guys were funny. Him - not so much.
http://www.theaterhopper.com Tom Brazelton

After reading HornetSting's response, I almost wonder if Rogen wouldn't deliberately make a bad movie like "Batman & Robin" with the Hornet franchise. A camp classic, but deliberately aware of itself. I wouldn't put it past him. That seems like exactly his kind of humor.
HornetSting

Here's a fairly well done fan film for those who haven't seen it: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=4298362767025417950&q=green+hornet&ei=suRGSNrbOJOg4AKeiIGbDA
Jorge Leiner

My question since i've heard of this: Seth Rogen playing The Gren Hornet?? OK, he can write the movie and who knows, maybe it will be a good story, i'm not denying that fact, but starring it, that's another thing. He looks kinda funny (and with "kinda" i mean: a lot!) and the character is more - in terms of the actors that could play it today - george-clooney-like. Of course, if it's a spoof... it could be.
http://movieguyreviews4u.blogspot.com Ryan

He better hit the gym. This just sounds B-A-D.
Garrett.king

Movie Lover, All I'm sayin' is that the Green Hornet is a classic and it deserves at least a little bit of respect. The fact that most people don't know who he is is even more of a reason to keep to it's originality and not fuck it over like I'm fearing will happen. And what is it with fat comedians wanting to play green characters? Ala Jack Black was going to play the Green Lantern. and I say comedians loosely..Seth Rogen isn't funny. So..yeah..dunno what else I got on that situation.
http://www.firstshowing.net Alex Billington

To address your "concern" #19, Rogen said previously that he's "actually buffing up and sliming down for the role." I don't think we have anything to really be concerned of there... As for the Green Lantern/Green Hornet comparisons, that's actually a good point... But you've got to realize in two years time I'm sure Sony will address that and specifically make sure that they build up the Green Hornet name. It's two years out and the studio will work on making sure people know the difference. If anything, they'll probably name it something entirely different than "Green Hornet".
iDavid

Um, yeah, this is going to be superbad alright and not in a good way. They'd be better off with Steven Seagal as Brit Reid and Lucy Liu as Kato. NOT! Geez, Hollywood must be hard up. Perhaps this will be the Speed Racer of '09!
HornetSting

(sarcasm) Heck why not Seth Green and Bobby Lee. Or Joe Rogan and Cathy Lee? I mean, why not get in with both feet and go all the way retarded? Screw the fans purple if you're gonna screw em right?<<Hollywood just sucks. Buffing up and slimming down? I don't care if he has liposuction, a head transplant, and is magically imbued with the spirit of General Patton, they will never be able to convince me that he is Britt Reid. That's gonna have to be some kinda serious voodoo movie magic right there. I can hardly picture him fighting his way out of a Taco Bell, let alone back to back with a skilled martial arts master out of an alley full of armed goons bent on killing him. Speaking of kicking the crap out of murderous goons... Did anybody watch that short film I linked? The fight scenes are really good. I love the way they have the Hornet using his fists most of the time and how Kato kinda saves his butt in the alley. Nicely done. I'd love to see what Poitrimoult, Lanzi and Vo could do with the cash they are going to flush with the stink that was Seth Rogen's career.
Roy

Rogen you Idiot!! Don't even think about playing the GH. Have you learned nothing from Batman Begins and The Dark Knight as to what EXCELLENT direction and casting is all about. This is the worst casting choice since Val Kilmer and George Clooney played Batman. My god - even Jon Favreau knew he couldn't play Tony Stark. Furthermore as far as Kato goes, the ONLY one who has the ability to play this character is Tony Jaa. Rent Ong Bak the Thai warrior and you'll see why.
pAz

im sorry ..... i usually never post but i had to 4 this, what are they thinking?!? He in no way, shape. or form even remotely resembles britt. he´s not handsome, sauve‚ or cool. LOL.... he´s barely even funny. i´m sry but some ya´ll let your love for actors warp your reasoning and logic.
Garrett.king

someone's gotta start a petition..like..NOW! NO ON ROGEN!
Tim "Cloverfield"

I agree 26.........ROGEN,,,,,NO FREA'KN WAY.....YUCK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!LAME!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Worst of all TIME!
Greg

Mark my words, Rogen will take a giant shit all over The Green Hornet.
Why?

Lets look at some facts that have been overlooked or pushed under the rug by SOOO many here and in Hollywood. 1. The character predated Batman and the ONLY tie in was in 1966 when the same producer for the TV show did the TV Green Hornet. 2. The Character is not a superhero, he has no super powers, no super villains, he is at best a masked crime fighter. Really he is no different than any TV/Film crime fighter except he happens to have a secret identity. 3. The Character did not come from the comic world; comics only explored their version of the story after the radio show was already established. The later 90's Comic series further explored an alternate universe of the Green Hornet world. Not too uncommon for the comic world but not congruent with the characters true origins and world. 4. The character is a hard driving young (33) successful businessman who is dedicated to fight crime in his community and wherever it occurs. NOT a lazy billionaire playboy that is pure recent media hype. 5. He is seen as a criminal in the criminal world so law enforcement is always after him. The criminals hate him because they fear him, Kato, and the Black Beauty. 6. The Green Hornet is a brilliant strategist and foils his foes in a well played out mental chess game (SEE Jason Borne or James Bond) Kato assists in strategy, weapons development and construction and muscle when needed. 5. The Green Hornet is fully capable in hand-to-hand combat in most every situation. He has a totally different style than Kato. He is in top physical condition. 6. Kato is fully competent in any situation of combat. He is so confident that his attitude comes across as smug. But make no mistake he takes crime fighting and combat very seriously. It would be a very rare occurrence if he were bested in hand-to-hand combat. 7. The TV series was canceled because the producer was not allotted enough TV time to further develop the character. ABC only allowed 30m and Dozier insisted on 60m for the second season. ABC refused so dozier canceled the series. 8. Production costs were out of control on Batman (A Huge hit) and budgets were getting tight so this was also a factor in sidelining the Green Hornet. 9. Keaton worked as Batman because he has shown he an actor that has depth and intensity. It makes no difference that he was in a comedic role prior. He is/was capable of VERY serious roles and can be very dark, which is needed for the Dark Knight. Same goes for Robin Williams as Joker, Riddler. He has proven himself in serious roles and can also be a believable villain and can also be very dark. Seth?? 10. The Green Hornet does not exist in the DC or Marvel universe. 11. Seth has in the past said this will be a comedy then said it will be an action film just like Pineapple Express (due out this fall), so who knows what he/they will decide on. The were able to hold the elements together for Spider-man, Fantastic Four, Elektra, Daredevil, Hulk, Iron Man, X-Men, Batman, Superman, Punisher, Blade so why not do the same for the Green Hornet? The Hornet is more like a Jason Borne, or a James Bond without the MI5-CIA connection. Hard fighting, mental strategy game, interesting gadget technology. Anything less that what the character is or was created to be is just a slap in the face to all of fandom and aficionados of the genre. People do not want something different they want something familiar but updated to take advantage of the wonderful film technology we have today. Filmgoers want to leave the film after paying their $10 saying “…damn that was awesome!” Not “Damn I could have blown that $10 bucks elsewhere and been happier.” Fans are not looking for another Rush Hour film, they did that and it was fine for what it was. Impress us Seth! Don’t rip us off!
Seth Schmeth

I agree w/ Why. Unfortunately, Seth Rogen expressing interest in the Green Hornet is essentially the same things as what one might expect from the modernization of "The Brady Bunch". A self congradulatory dip into the past to remind everyone how much "better" we have it now. Green Hornet was NEVER a comedy. And I simply cannot see him doing Noir-ish crimefighter drama. He'll butcher it - for certain. He'll skewer it like he's kabobbing the careers of the Freak & Geek bandwagon he rode in on. Seth is a fine supporting actor - his entire appeal (much as i don't 'get' it enough to laugh) is that he's the everyman 'Hey if he can be in movies, so could a schlub like me!' persona. He cannot lead a Marquee film. I challenge anyone to prove me wrong (including Seth Rogen). [ I wish him the best success - I'm just saying his bold statement that he could take this on is a move that has absolutely no precedent - and if frankly disrespectful to the long history of the Green Hornet, as detailed above. ]
Hornet Sting

Here, Here! I agree with both Why, and S.S. This is going to be a huge fail for Sony and Seth Rogen, but mostly a giant loss for the fans and the genre itself. The Hornet was never funny, never intended to be funny, and shouldn't be made funny. Gritty, dark, violent, clever, and deep. Those are the only words you need when describing this character and the world he and his devoted sidekick inhabit. Funny isn't and shouldn't be on the list. I hope our collective voice is loud enough to kill this project or redirect it. I'd rather have no Hornet movie, than to suffer through what is currently in the works. I have posted everywhere I can find regarding this issue, and I encourage others to do the same. We can be heard if we are loud enough, and we certainly don't have to stand for being called nerds. Especially not by the very guy who expects us to pay him to watch our beloved Hornet tortured by his sophomoric sense of humor!
Garrett.king

hey, hornet sting, would you mind if I put all your comments into the podcast I'm starting? My first topic is going to about why Rogen shouldn't be playing GH.
HornetSting

HornetSting... Check. Let's roll Garrett.
Garrett.king

THANKS! HAHA! big time savior in my cast. actually, if you'd like to write one gigantic response for me to read off, I'd be more than happy to do that as well.
JohnGrimm

This is retarded. None of you movie-ignorant 'tards know what humor is. He is a great actor, and as far as looks go, 5-6 months of working out can do wonders for a person's shape and figure. I, too, love Green Lantern and Green Hornet, but I am in no position to throw away Seth as a possibility. Just wait until this movie comes out June 25th '10. You'll all change your opinions and forget you ever posted such profanity against Seth. As for your little podcast and petition, well, I really don't have a reply to that. It's complete stupidity in it's purest form.
Internetman

Here's an interesting tidbit for all of you lantern/hornet fans! Less than .4 percent of America gives a darn if he is true to the original Green Hornet franchise. I'm not trying to be rude here or insult something you like (I am a huge nerd and would care if this was something I was passionate about). I'm trying to point out: A serious hornet movie with a bunch of new young actors (a la the new Star Trek) would fail MISERABLY because nobody would care. But Seth Rogen making a funny Hornet film, or a serious Hornet film would actually spark interest in the franchise. "But Internetman, how could Seth Rogen make a serious Hornet film? He obviously would intentionally DESTROY the name of Green Hornet just like we SAY HE WILL because HE WANTS TO MAKE A MOVIE ABOUT SOMETHING NOBODY KNOWS ABOUT AND THEN MAKE IT REALLY SHITTY. His GREATEST WISH is a mob of ANGRY GREEN HORNET FANS. [I will give them a nickname. How about "Hornyfans".] We ALL remember the GREAT HORNYFAN RIOTS OF '89. HE WANTS THAT AGAIN." [**walks away from the computer to take a bunch more INTERNETROIDS**] "Oh no Seth rogen is going to RUIN the Green Hornet!" Uh, guys...there isn't a franchise to ruin! Rob Schneider making a Captain America film would be something to get angry about. But seriously, from someone who is not a part of the fanbase: your arguments are INANE. By the way, if Rogen "took a shit" all over the Green Hornet- there would be more fans of the green hornet. --> PROBABLY 48,200% MORE. <-- I am in fact proud of that above statement. From a non-fan, I actually got excited when I heard about this at Comic-con today. For every one of you that is angry about this, 83 people will see this movie. All of my mathematical figures are accurate.
Internetman

Also, your fat jokes are great. You guys are great. I just found an interview that you might find interesting. Here is an excerpt from Rogen's recent interview in the Green Hornet magazine HORNETWEEKLY. "I intend to put on 45 pounds of pure fat for the role. There's no point in looking believable as the Green Hornet. I may also make the suit red. Who knows. I want this to appeal to noone. Also, I'm adding a bunch of things that people will hate, like ninjas and hilarious superbad references, because I have NO RESPECT for the Green Hornet fans and I know they hate COMEDIES. That's why I chose to do this film. I'm not a FAN, i just HATE THE GREEN HORNET AND ITS FANS." I apologize to all of you, you were completely right. He doesn't want any of you to be happy, that just wouldn't make sense. He hates you. That's why he picked this franchise.
Kalladin

I don't think I've seen a weak Seth Rogen moment onscreen yet. If Rogen and Sony are willing to take a risk on a new direction for him then that's their prerogative. Besides, if he wants a truly long lasting career he's going to have to challenge himself and his audience. He's never going to make everyone happy and who in his demographic even has any hardwired associations with this franchise anyway?
Shut the hell up

Everyone in this post who has said that Seth Rogen isn't funny or that Superbad wasn't a good movie should piss off. You have no right so say that until you make a movie more popular than Superbad. If you become a more famous actor than Seth Rogan you can tell him you hate him, but right now you are complaining how bad this movie is going to be instead of making something of your lives. And it's clear that if you were writing it no one would want to see it.