The 'Green Hornet' Reboot That Someone, Somewhere Must Want Brings In Writer David Koepp
The Green Hornet reboot, titled The Green Hornet and Kato, has a new writer: David Koepp. Koepp needs no introduction – he's been writing screenplays for big movies for decades, and every now and then he directs some films, too. The Green Hornet reboot was announced at the start of this year, and in April, Universal Pictures picked the film up. The character originated in a 1930s radio program that was, in turn, adapted into movie serials, a television series (featuring a pre-fame Bruce Lee), comic books, and of course, a 2011 film starring Seth Rogen.
Hey, remember that Green Hornet reboot? It's still happening. Hollywood loves a familiar property, even if it's a property that hasn't been popular in several decades. Case in point: there was already an attempt to make a big Green Hornet movie in 2011, and it didn't exactly blow the roof off of the multiplexes. A smart industry would look at that and say, "Okay, let's move on." But Hollywood doesn't operate that way. The powers-that-be have a kind of magical thinking where they assume that whatever went wrong the first time was some kind of fluke, and this time they'll get it right, damn it!
Which is why Universal is all-in on this new Green Hornet movie, The Green Hornet and Kato. THR reports that legendary screenwriter David Koepp, a guy with credits that include Jurassic Park, Mission: Impossible, Spider-Man, and more, has been brought in to tackle the script. There's very little info about the movie itself at the moment, but the Green Hornet mythology primarily follows Britt Reid, a newspaper publisher by day and crimefighter by night. Reid's alter-ego is the Green Hornet, and he's backed-up by his driver/sidekick Kato.
The character was created in 1936 by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker for a radio show. From there, the Green Hornet appeared in movie serials and then a TV series, where a young Bruce Lee played Kato. That show only lasted a single season but it helped Lee's career, and after he became an even bigger star thanks to his martial arts films, people started revisiting the show's one and only season.
There's no director attached to the new film yet, but Amasia co-founders Michael Helfant and Bradley Gallo are producing. "This is one of the only stand-alone classic superhero franchises," Helfant said when the project was first announced. "We're a bunch of fan geeks at Amasia and are thrilled about creating something fresh and truly worthy of this legacy property. A new world that is relevant and thrilling, while respecting and honoring the original vision."