Leigh Whannell, known for directing Upgrade and The Invisible Man, is in negotiations to helm the Green Hornet and Kato movie for Universal Studios.
Leigh Whannell has entered negotiations to direct The Green Hornet and Kato.
As reported by Deadline, Universal Studios has already met with several directors to helm the project, but insiders say Whannell is considered a favorite after he directed 2020’s The Invisible Man, a critical and financial success in the brief window before the COVID-19 pandemic. He’s also known for directing the cyberpunk thriller Upgrade, as well as writing multiple installments of the Saw and Insidious franchises with his longtime collaborator James Wan. David Koepp, known for writing on multiple blockbuster films like Jurassic Park and Spider-Man, has already turned in a screenplay that, according to Deadline, Universal is “high on” and eager to fast-track into pre-production.
Debuting as a radio show in 1936, The Green Hornet told the story of Britt Reid, a wealthy newspaper publisher who secretly fought crime as a masked vigilante, aided by his loyal chauffer Kato and equipped with an arsenal of advanced technology and a tricked-out Imperial Crown dubbed “Black Beauty.” The property became more well-known in the 1960s thanks to a TV show starring Van Williams as the Green Hornet and a then-unknown Bruce Lee as Kato, which helped launch his career in both America and Hong Kong. The characters have also appeared in film serials, comic series and a 2011 movie starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou in the lead roles, which was met with negative reviews.
The Green Hornet and Kato isn’t the only current project featuring this property. In 2020, WildBrain Studios announced that it was developing a family-friendly Green Hornet animated series with Kevin Smith, who previously wrote an unproduced script for the character that was later adapted into a comic series by Dynamite Entertainment. According to a press release, the series will be set in the present day and “follows the adventures of a re-imagined Green Hornet and Kato – now the grown son of the original Green Hornet and the daughter of the original Kato – as they partner to battle crime in Century City!”
“It’s an honor to escort the legendary Green Hornet and Kato into their very own animated series for the first time in the rich history of these iconic pop culture characters,” Smith said in a statement. “We’ll be telling a tale of two Hornets – past and future – that spans generations and draws inspiration from a lifetime spent watching classic cartoons and amazing animation like Batman: The Animated Series, Heavy Metal, and Super Friends. I can’t believe WildBrain gave me this job and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to extend my childhood a little longer.”
The Green Hornet and Kato doesn’t yet have a release window.
Source: Deadline
