Hey folks, Harry here - just back from night two of FANTASTIC FEST - just read this - HOLY FUCK! This is the greatest fucking movie ever in my brain at this instant. I imagine a level of joygasmic e-geekulation all over each and every synapse collected in my massive cinema-juiced cranium! HEAVEN ON EARTH, THIS IS YOUR FILM!

Beaks here...

We've known for some time that Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg were keen to cast Stephen Chow as Kato in their big-screen reintroduction/reinvention of THE GREEN HORNET. Now that they've got him, it makes perfect sense to let the man direct the damn thing, too!

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the director-star of SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE and CJ7 (reportedly a cinch for Moriarty Jr.'s 2008 Top Ten list) will indeed call the shots on this long-gestating project (currently scheduled for a June 25, 2010 release). This will also serve as Stephen Chow's American filmmaking debut, which is pretty cool considering that the televised GREEN HORNET introduced Chow's hero, Bruce Lee, to American audiences back in the 1960s. Here's Chow's quote from the Reporter:

"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," Chow said. "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."

What this means in terms of tone is anybody's guess. The Rogen/Goldberg script has yet to surface (attention leakers: time to start leakin'!), but I doubt they hired Chow to put him in a creative straitjacket. I'm expecting zany, but reined-in - more SHAOLIN SOCCER than KUNG-FU HUSTLE. And since The Hollywood Reporter went out of their way to note that Rogen has "slimmed down" in anticipation for the film, I'm also expecting him to be as involved in the action as Chow.

This is great news. I mean, I don't have any real affection for the character or the TV show (aside from the Bruce Lee connection), but the idea of Rogen and Chow kicking ass in an action comedy... if they do this right, it'll be like RUSH HOUR never happened.