According to co-writer/star Seth Rogen, The Green Hornet will be an origin movie, mostly because “no one knows anything!”
Talking the movie up to MTV, Rogen admitted that he and writing partner Evan Goldberg had considered ditching the masked do-gooder’s origin, but had to reinstate it when they realised people needed a briefing.
“No one gives a s**t," Rogen chuckles. “There were like, three people who care about Hornet. We didn't intend it to be an origin story, but we realized that it actually became more confusing than anything that we didn't include an origin story.”
Reality level
The film will likely introduce the traditional take on the Hornet, albeit with the writers’ own spin: Britt Reid, playboy newspaper publisher, decides to fight crime as the titular masked avenger. Think Batman, but without so many cool toys (he has a great car, though – the Black Beauty), far fewer parental loss issues and a martial arts sidekick.
While Rogen and Goldberg lived up to their claim that they’d get director Stephen Chow on board (who is helming as well as playing warrior sidekick Kato), they’re now in the middle of consulting with Chow about the film’s tone.
"We're figuring out now what exactly the reality level is and exactly how to let [Stephen] have fun, but at the same time do something that's accessible to American audiences," says Rogen. We're at the very early phases."
