The closest that the pale and chubby Seth Rogen has ever come to being seen as a superhero was his role as an overzealous mall cop. We can sometimes take the actor seriously, but at the end of the day he’s an oafish buffoon (and I mean that in a good way) that we love to laugh at. Whether he’s a modest and self-effacing stand-up comic (“Funny People”) or a rambunctious and immature police officer (“Superbad”), Rogen always delivers his signature under-the-surface candor.
But what if his heroics were not delusions of grandeur? What if Rogen were to portray a daredevil without parodying the role? Ladies and gentlemen, The Green Hornet...
Sony Pictures has begun development of a new superhero revamp, “The Green Hornet,” which is to be released in December of this year. Based on the radio and television series of the same name, “The Green Hornet” features the crime-fighting life of Britt Reid, a Los Angeles newspaper publisher by day and a masked vigilante by night. Aided by an Asian sidekick/martial-arts extraordinaire named Kato, Reid combats gangs and crime lords in order to make Los Angeles a better place. Lacking super powers, the Green Hornet is a master of hand-to-hand combat and drives a high-tech death machine called “Black Beauty.”
Rogen will portray the titular superhero, with Jay Chou set to play Kato (yeah, I don’t know who that is either.) In the tradition of casting female love interests for Rogen who are way out of his league, Cameron Diaz has been confirmed as a reporter (presently unnamed) who tracks the Green Hornet’s exploits.
And now for my favorite casting choice… Portraying the Green Hornet’s nemesis, an all-powerful L.A. crime lord with supreme rule over the city, is the only 5’8” actor that can deliver the chills of a towering and vicious monster. Yep, Inglourious Basterds co-star, Oscar-nominated Austrian actor Christoph Waltz will play Chudnofsky, the film’s central villain.
Directing the picture is none other than Michel Gondry, whose auteur distortion of the mise-en-scene elements of his movies may find a new purpose in the superhero genre. Working off of a script penned by Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg (writers of “Superbad” and “Pineapple Express”), Gondry just might establish himself in the comedic realm (after his 2008 “Be Kind Rewind” managed only mediocrity).
My only hesitance: Gondry’s films take lives of their own, while Rogen often drives his films. Then again, the Seth Rogen we have all come to know may be altering his husky-banterer persona. Rogen was reported to have lost 30 pounds for the leading role. Nevertheless, can we expect a straight-faced action hero out of Rogen?
I’m still very excited about this project, mainly because the Gondry-Rogen combo is a testament to the risk-taking that Hollywood is still capable of. You can expect some trailers/promotional poster on the Dive blog once they are released. For now, here’s a fan-made poster featuring a studio shot of Rogen and Chou in costume.
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