The fact Stephen Chow has signed on to play Kato in the upcoming The Green Hornet movie comes as no surprise whatsoever. Chow's long been rumored to be the actor screenwriters Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg wanted for the part of Brit Reid's sidekick. But after months of speculation, Chow's committed to not only bringing the character to life on the screen, he also said yes to the director's job.
Chow's past directorial credits include Kung Fu Hustle and Shaolin Soccer, and he should fit nicely into the action/comedy world of Rogen and Goldberg's The Green Hornet. In a press release announcing Chow's attachment to the project, Matt Tolmach, President of Columbia Pictures, said, "When Seth, Evan, and Neal [Moritz] said they wanted Stephen Chow to be part of The Green Hornet, it was a fantasy. Now that it's happening, it's almost too good to be true. Stephen's been a very important part of the Sony family for many years, so it's truly serendipitous for us to be moving forward with him directing the movie and starring as Kato."
"I'm excited to be taking on The Green Hornet - obviously, I've been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid," added Chow. "The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee's shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true. I'm grateful to my friends at Sony, who have shown so much faith in me for so many years. I'm looking forward to working with Seth, Evan, Neal, and the team at Sony, and I'm eager to get started."
Rogen said, "Stephen was always my and Evan's first choice for director and to play Kato. We just hope that he never finds out we're not the Wachowski Brothers."
Columbia Pictures has scheduled The Green Hornet to hit theaters on June 25, 2010.
Source: Columbia Pictures
