Just five days after news came that Nicolas Cage had passed on the chance to play The Green Hornet villain comes the news that Inglourious Basterds baddie, Christoph Waltz, has reportedly been cast as Green Hornet‘s foe.
Nikki Finke at Deadline Hollywood scored the exclusive news that Waltz has been cast as the villain, Chudnofsky, in Michel Gondry’s upcoming comic book adaptation, The Green Hornet. No other details have been released about the role, although in the past it has been described as a “gangster” who’s “scary,” and, “not where the comedy comes from.” Cage was circling the role for a little while before he passed on the opportunity, favoring lead roles in two different revenge flicks (that wasn’t the reason we were given, but it’s what we can summise).
If this Christoph Waltz news is true (and I’m guessing it is), it would come after one heck of a performance from Waltz as the methodical and cunning Col. Hans Landa in Quentin Tarantino’s wonderful Inglourious Basterds. After spending several years acting on stage and as a prolific Austrian TV actor, Waltz’s Nazi detective role blew pretty much everyone who saw Inglourious Basterds away. He won the Best Actor award at the Cannes film festival earlier this year, and is a shoe-in for a Best Supporting Actor nomination at the Oscars next year. If he doesn’t – and this may be a little early to call, as a lot of Oscar-bait movies have yet to be released – I’ll pull a Werner Herzog and eat my own shoe.
Just kidding… or am I?…
There’s been a lot of naesaying going on about Gondry’s comic book adaptation of Green Hornet, mainly because it’s Seth “Judd Apatow’s go-to-funny-guy” Rogen who’s playing the titular role. I’ve actually been in the camp that’s looking forward to the movie, mainly because it’s the über-talented Michael Gondry – the man who directed Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind – who’s at the helm. Even if I was extremely disappointed when Stephen Chow left the project (with Taiwanese pop star Jay Chou taking his place), the Gondry fan in me – as well as the diverse cast – has me extremely interested in seeing it.
I suspect that with Waltz’s potential casting a lot of the naesayers will change their opinion of the project, if only somewhat. Needless to say, Waltz is dynamite acting talent as well as one helluva villain, and so I have to say I couldn’t be more pleased if he ends up getting this role.
What’s your opinion on Christoph Waltz potentially playing The Green Hornet villain? Is he a good choice or do you have someone else better in mind? I dare you to name one…
The Green Hornet stars (as stated) Seth Rogen, and co-stars Cameron Diaz, Jay Chou, Tom Wilkinson, David Harbour, Edward James Olmos and (potentially) Christoph Waltz. It is currently filming (if you haven’t checked out the first set photos, do so here), and is now scheduled to be released on December 17th, 2010.
Source: Nikki Finke (DeadlineHollywood)
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Waltz in a Seth Rogen Movie? dunno if i like this idea…
So much for the idea this film would collapse without Cage.
GREAT choice.
and I wasnt saying that Screen Ranters were saying this Would collapse without Cage ,
but this is a common reaction on several other sites.
Good or not…this movie looks like it’ll be very interesting.
I have hated this idea from the start, but I can no longer ignore my deep desire to see it due to Gondry’s and Waltz’s involvement. The combination of these two tour-de-fource filmakers(director and actor, respectively) has me salivating for opening night. Curse you Seth Rogen for surrounding this turd with talent.
@Ross Miller
Do I detect an anti-Rogen bias to your story?
You state Gondry as the reason to be interested and show a very goofy Rogen pic which is as far removed from the idea of Green Hornet as possible.
I’m not saying you’re wrong or evil or anything but would it have killed you to source a decent pic of Rogen in a less ‘clashing’ look?
To be fair, there are not a a lot of pictures Of Rogen that are very different from that .
and the studio hasent released any picture of him as the Hornet yet.
You go with what you have got .
And Ross wasnt stating that Gondry was the reason to be interested.
He said that as a Gondry fan its the main reason HE was interested .
I am sure it was nothing personal .
I can’t take Seth Rogen any more and he’s the reason I will not be seeing this movie. I wonder how many stoner references they are going to put in this film. The man is a one-trick pony and plays the same type of character in all his films. This is going to be a horrible movie.
@ jordi: I kind of agree with you, but think about this if you had to guess, Who is the Green Hornet? Would you pick Seth? No way, which is the point. With both characters being well known to the authorities you need that edge to believe they couldn’t make the connection…
You watch, Brit Reid will be the goof that Seth channels the comedy into. With the mask on he’ll be all business.
I wont believe he is playing Reid as a stoner until I see a trailer that confirms it .
And Bruce Wayne and Clark Kent are not exactly portrayed as Coirageous Stalwarts of Justice in their films.
Christian Bale Publicy portrays Wayne as a fop and a boob.
You dont have to portray a stoner for your Secret Identity to look ridiculous or ineffectual.
Oops I meant Christian Bale PUBLICLY portrays wayne as a boob or a fop.
I don’t think it’s that much of a stretch to go from stoner to just a slight goof. He would play it, as Brit, just a little bit out from his normal everyday personality . I would describe it as playful or spirited, as I think about it more. Not stretched to over the top proportions like “Pineapple Express.” Then an even smaller bit would seep into the Hornet. The audience would sees it, Kato would see it, but nobody else does, or rather is allowed to, because it won’t be shown to them. What I see him going for is to put that half smile/smirk on your face as you leave the theater.
@jordi,
Nope, no anti-Rogen bias here. I didn’t mention that he was a negative against the movie, I was just pointing out that others have a problem with him being in the movie.
(Even if it WAS negative towards Rogen, it wouldn’t be me being “bias” but rather just me stating opinion. Bias would be if I didn’t like him normally, for whatever reason, and I “hated on” him everytime I wrote a post related to him, even if in that certain post it wasn’t called for be negative towards him)
And the pic – as Gary says, the studio hasn’t release one of Rogen as The Green Hornet yet, and the pic is just one we have in “the system” to use until a proper one is released
Is it really so impossible that the whole thing will be played straight? Perhaps even improved, that Seth has fooled everybody until now? Remember Robin Williams did it, “Good Will Hunting” & “One Hour Photo.”
the trailer is out.no it is not possible he will play the part compleatly straight.the scenes in the trailer show that.
Oh what a waste of talent,,,
He’ll be the only redeeming character in the film…
Thanks for the sticking it in and breaking it off Rogen!!! You fat bastard hack !!!
@Ross Miller
Thanks for the reply, didn’t expect one tbh. In my mental dictionary bias is favour towards or against something so most people are biased one way or the other. As for the pic 2 seconds on IMDB had about 10 preferable ones,I don’t know about copyright issues but I’d have thought they were public domain.
Just for the record Rogen wouldn’t have been my first choice (or top ten tbh) but I’m willing to leave that at the door and see what he brings to the role with an almost zen-like acceptance
I’ve abandoned all hope for this movie from the beginning when Rogen was said to play The Green Hornet. Stephen Chow as Kato wasn’t so bad but it could have been better.. Donnie Yen, Mark Dacascos.. heck, it isn’t so hard to find people with REAL martial arts talent. And then Jay Chou came on board as Kato.. BUMMER! No matter who comes on next, I don’t feel any positive vibe to this movie.
It’ll be a miracle if it can even out-entertain the fan-made Green Hornet short film that came out some years back. The action choreography in that one was TIGHT.
This is dead to me….Infinity. 790, you are the Man!
If the director unleashes Waltz the way Tarantino did, then we'll get another great performance. And that is what the audience wants to see.
If the director unleashes Waltz the way Tarantino did, then we'll get another great performance. And that is what the audience wants to see.