Columbia has hired Michel Gondry to direct The Green Hornet, a big-screen version of the 1930s radio show and 1960s TV show. Seth Rogen, who wrote the script with Evan Goldberg, is set to star as the Green Hornet, and Stephen Chow will play his sidekick, Kato.
Chow (Kung Fu Hustle) was originally set to direct the movie himself, but he had some "creative differences" with Columbia suits. Gondry apparently wowed studio execs with his vision for the film, and it will be interesting to see how the kooky French director tackles such commercial fare. Let's just hope everyone knows what they're getting into and it doesn't turn into another Where the Wild Things Are, if and when the studio doesn't get a super-commercial picture out of indie director.