Kevin Smith is developing an animated The Green Hornet TV series. As one of the most prominent voices in geek culture, Kevin Smith has brought his voice to some of the biggest pieces of IP, especially when it comes to comic books. Green Hornet and his side-kick Kato were created in 1936 for radio, but they have since appeared in movies, TV shows, and comics. One of the most notable pieces of Green Hornet content came with the 1966 TV series, which featured Bruce Lee in his breakout role as Kato.
In the years since the single-season Green Hornet show, the attempts to tell more stories with Green Hornet and Kato have favored movies. The most recent Green Hornet adaptation put Seth Rogen behind the green mask and starred Jay Chou as Kato. But, the 2011 film was not well-received, as it earned mixed reviews and only made $227 million worldwide (on a reported $120M budget). The response to The Green Hornet largely shelved any ideas to explore these characters outside of comics, but that is changing.
According to Deadline, Kevin Smith is teaming up with WildBrain to develop an animated The Green Hornet TV series. The series will bring the story into the modern-day, but with a twist. The modern story will follow the son of the original Green Hornet and daughter of Kato working together as crimefighters, with portions of the show going back to show the adventures of their fathers. At the time of this announcement, The Green Hornet does not have a place to call home, but it will soon be shopped to networks and streamers.
The new animated Green Hornet series will be the first time these characters will be brought to life in this format. However, the show will not be Smith's time creating a story for Green Hornet and Kato. Back in the early 2000s, Smith wrote a script for a live-action movie that was never made. Several years later, though, Smith published the story he created in comic form. The animated series will give Smith the chance to write for Green Hornet and Kato again, but it isn't clear if his involvement will extend to directing the episodes too.
Smith's most recent directing effort was Jay and Silent Bob Reboot, but he also directed his upcoming Masters of the Universe: Revelation animated series for Netflix. It's possible he could do the same for The Green Hornet then, and perhaps Netflix will even be where Smith's next nostalgic animated reimagining will land. Wherever the show eventually debuts, the legacy approach is a smart way to differentiate The Green Hornet with past stories - and whatever story the upcoming live-action reboot holds.
Source: Deadline