HONG KONG — Hong Kong comedian Stephen Chow will play Kato in the Columbia Pictures’ adaptation of “The Green Hornet,” taking on a role made famous by the late action star Bruce Lee’s portrayal in a 1966 TV series, the Hollywood studio said.
Chow will also direct the movie, which will be the “Kung Fu Hustle” director and star’s American debut, Columbia Pictures said in a statement.
Canadian actor Seth Rogen will star as The Green Hornet, a debonair newspaper publisher who moonlights as a masked crime-fighter along with his martial arts-expert sidekick, Kato.
Chow, whose other credits include “Shaolin Soccer” and “CJ7,” said in the statement that he’s excited to be following in Lee’s footsteps.
“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,” Chow said.
The characters debuted in a radio series in 1936 on WXYZ Detroit. They also starred in several comic books.
In 1966, The Green Hornet was turned into an ABC-TV series starring Van Williams as the title character and Bruce Lee as Kato.
It ran for one season.
Lee’s role as Kato was part his brief foray into American TV before he made his name in Hong Kong with movies such as “The Big Boss” and “Fist of Fury.” Lee died in Hong Kong in 1973 at age 32 from swelling of the brain.
Chow has worked with Sony Pictures Entertainment, which runs Columbia Pictures, for several years.
Sony co-produced and released “Kung Fu Hustle” (2004) and also distributed his latest film, “CJ7,” earlier this year.
Columbia Pictures said its version of “The Green Hornet” will premiere on June 25, 2010.
