If true, this news does not bring a tear to my eye – it seems that the Seth Rogen version of The Green Hornet may be dead as a project.
According to HitFix, the word from the Sundance Film festival is that the project is on life support, if not completely dead. This confirms what we said a month ago when word came that Stephen Chow not only stepped down as director but might not even co-star.
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From Hitfix we get the following:
“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.”
Although most under-30s may not even be familiar with the property, I have fond memories of it from the late 1960s as a cool action show. I had no desire to see it turned into a comedy. It may have been cheesy back then, but to me it made as much sense to make this a comedy as it would to make The Dark Knight based on the old Adam West/Burt Ward Batman TV series.
The down side is that if the project dies in its current form it will probably never get made – then again, maybe some things are best left in the past.
Source: Hitfix
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16 Comments
The Shadow, The SPirit, The Phantom..
None of these were great films, hell acouple were just plain awful so I am not suprised this has happened…Trying to ressurect something for a demographic that is probably not even aware that a Green Hornet existed…Hard to market and even more difficult to make a film that could be understood in today’s world..
Guys (and gals) –
I’ve made my feelings about this production very clear from the start – it should have been strangled with its own umbilical cord. The very fact that someone thought it was a good idea in the first place to have Seth Rogen portray The Hornet means some executive should have lost their job over that decision.
Good riddance.
Now someone who has a respect for the core thrust of the character and its “world” can bring this to the silver screen in the manner it deserves: as a serious high octane action-crime-thriller.
I agree with you Bill. I like Seth Rogen for various reason but I could not fathom for the life of me why they even half considered him for the role, and even moreso turn it into a comedy was a debasement of the true spirit of the Green Hornet, which wasn’t as campy as Batman and with Bruce Lee, a hell of a lot more fun to watch.
Now, if we cannot get this property into better hands, then it is better off dead and buried.
This project is cursed, Vic. Kevin Smith, George Clooney, etc., have all been attached at one time or other. Heck, the Weinsteins wanted a car company to fork over $20 million or so for bragging rights to making and marketing the GH car.
Besides, do we need two “Green” superhero movies next year?
heath
To be honest, I really think everyone has missed the boat in terms of the Green Hornet’s core concept – he’s a modern day Robin Hood with a criminal attitude.
So why not have a great crime screenwriter take a crack at it? Michael Mann (Heat). Richard Price (The Wire, Clockers). Shawn Ryan (The Shield).
This doesn’t need to be brain surgery…You just need to know which end is which, and that’s been the problem.
Yeah, I’m not real bothered either. I think the best “noir” superhero film was “The Shadow,” and that ain’t saying much. Time to let this genre slip away because that atmosphere just can’t be properly captured.
The genre isn’t dead. Matter of fact there’s a resurgence of it. What’s wrong is that the people are basing this on the television show instead of the pulp, which as a medium is a treasure trove of properties. Little do people realize that comics (which are SO popular in movies right now) were based on many characters in the pulps. It’s not just Doc Savage and The Shadow we’re talking about here. Look up The Bat for example.
You make it a good crime noir, and not in the sense of The Dark Knight. I’m talking crime noir in the black and white inner monologue sense and you will get a good movie out of it. Humor can be inserted without effort in terms of the dialogue. Quick-witted one liners. But once you move past the core concept it’s going to fail. Hollywood has yet to realize this. It’s so obvious and yet they don’t get it at all.
Get a good writer that knows what he’s doing on that screenplay and you’ll bring in the viewers and ultimately money. It’s not the property. It’s the poor decision making of the companies involved.
Sorry Anthony, but the Green Hornet started life as a radio program – a sequel to The Lone Ranger (Britt Reid is the grand nephew of John Reid the Ranger). I don’t think it was ever a pulp. (But I do take your point that it should go back to its roots)
The Hornet became comics, two serials and of course, the TV show.
Go here to enjoy some of the old time radio programs:
http://www.archive.org/search.php?query=Green%20Hornet%20AND%20collection%3Aradioprograms
You’re absolutely right. He did premiere on radio. He did go back to the 1930s. If anything it was adapted later. I know I’ve seen covers but when they were published I couldn’t tell you offhand.
But you get what I’m saying?
I don’t propose I’m an expert on the Green Hornet. Sorry if I came off as such. My point is sticking to the original concept. It’s allright to do a little house cleaning in my book. Update it slightly. But this should be a period piece rather than making it modern day. It just wouldn’t work.
Thanks for the link!
Too bad .
I would love to see a kick ass Green Hornet film.
I have to agree that I’m not shedding tears to see the “Green Hornet” film die before any filming starts. A comedy? Really. What dimbulb came up with that? One really must marvel.
Of course, I love Bill C.’s idea. To see the real core concept put into modern terms, to see someone like Michael Mann give it a true translation to our time… that is a really intriguing concept. I would love to see that, and I think even people who’ve never heard of the Green Hornet would line up at the movie theaters for that one.
Maybe even include ‘Longstreet’ with this Universe. (Look that one up!)
-Stark
You Guys are right, they should do a good serious film or let it die damn it die!!!
This movie was doomed when Seth Rogen was picked as the Green Hornet plus making it a comedy. Let someone like the guys who did the Matrix, Iron Man, Spiderman, etc. direct this movie. Better yet, let George Clooney, Steven S., or Michael Bey to it.
The Green Hornet as a concept is a little dated and no longer big enough for the big screen. The Green Hornet was, at most, a city-shaking crime fighter and, nowadays, the movie-going public is looking for something more earth shaking (ie. Hulk, Spiderman, Iron Man, Superman). The concept of the Green Hornet would need to be totally rethought to achieve earth-shaking status. A comedy might’ve achieved some level of acceptance depending on how well it was written as the comedy format would’ve given them the ability to *say* big things without really *doing* big things.
Really, though, it’s time for the genre to heroes from the past and develop heroes for the future with a grounding in the present.
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