Everybody deserves a second chance. It’s a big theme behind some of the most influential stories ever told and is also the driving force behind a number of surprisingly engaging film and TV adaptations. In this case, apparently, somebody decided that classic radio and comic book heroThe Green Hornetcould use another shot at the big time, and now a potential director may soon add even more clout to the whole thing.
Leigh Whannell, the director behind 2020’sThe Invisible Man, has reportedly shown interest in an interesting revival project.Universalappears to have entered negotiations with Whannell to bring him on board for theirupcoming filmThe Green Hornet and Kato, hoping to introduce the legendary radio adventure hero to modern audiences. This comes after the studio has been meeting with several directors over the past month, though reports indicate that Whannell appears to be the most desirable candidate.
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Deadline reports that Whannell is the most likely to receive the director’s spot since he’d already delivered Universal asatisfying success withThe Invisible Man. Meanwhile,Jurassic ParkandMission: Impossiblewriter David Koepp has already written a script for the project, which likely didn’t hurt as motivation for so many directors to throw their hats in the ring. The studio seems eager to launch right into pre-production onThe Green Hornet and Katoas soon as this deal is finalized.
Some may be wondering why Universal is making anotherGreen Hornetmovie when that one withthe always opinionated Seth Rogenand Jay Chou wasn’t too long ago, before watching themselves age in the mirror as they realize it happened 11 years ago. Before that, other adaptations have surfaced over the years, including a series in the 1960s that starred the iconic Bruce Lee himself as Kato. This particular reboot started life in 2016 before bouncing around to different studios and ultimately landing with Universal by way of Amasia Entertainment in 2020. Since they’ve only just gotten to the stage of finding a director, obviously not much is set in stone just yet, including who will star. But it’s certainly off to a promising start with Whannell.
The Green Hornet first appeared in a series of serialized radio dramas in the ’30s. By day, he works as Britt Reid of the Daily Sentinel newspaper. But when shadows fall, he dons a disguise and fights crime under the alias of The Green Hornet. Along with his partner, Kato, he roams the streets in their high-tech car known as the Black Beauty, using his reputation as a dangerous vigilante to immerse himself in the very criminal underworld he seeks to take down.
Such a story may sound cliched nowadays, but it’s important to remember thatThe Green Hornetpretty much birthed a number of now-classic superhero tropes, even predating the firstSupermancomic. So a modern adaptation could be interesting to see. How will they modernize the character? Who will play Britt and Kato? Hopefully, all that will be revealed soon.
The Green Hornet and Katois in development at Universal.
