Asian pop star-turned-actor Jay Chou has been cast to play Kato, loyal sidekick to the crime-busting Green Hornet, in Michel Gondry’s upcoming adaptation of the classic old time radio series hero.
Seth Rogen is set to star in the film as Britt reid, a crusading newspaper publisher who moonlights as a masked vigilante whom the cops believe is a criminal. Hong Kong star Stephen Chow had originally been tapped to star as Kato and to direct the film. However, he left the project after disagreeing with the producer’s as to the tone of the film.
In a press release, Gondry stated-
Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog! When I filmed him next to Seth, they had such great chemistry, and I knew the movie will be great.
Chou is probably unfamiliar to most American audiences who aren’t connoisseurs of Asian cinema. A hit debut pop album in 2000 helped Chou seque into an acting career. He has starred in the 2006 comedy-action film Initial D with Edison Chen. He also starred in 2005’s Curse Of The Golden Flower opposite Gong Li and Chow Yun-Fat.
Chou isn’t the first relatively unknown actor to take on the role of Kato. Besides the long-running 1930s and 40s radio series, the Green Hornet appeared on television in the 1960s. Kato was played by a young, unknown martial artist from Hong Kong named Bruce Lee. Although the series only lasted a year, it helped launch Lee’s extraordinary career.
Jay Chou is cool………..
I Love Jay Chou…~
^^