Thursday
18Dec2008
Stephen Chow Won't Direct 'Green Hornet'
Thursday, December 18, 2008 at 11:19PM
You might not put it in the "disturbance in the Force"
category, but I don't like the news that
Stephen Chow
won't be directing
The Green Hornet.
Variety reports that "creative differences" are to blame. Damn you, creative differences! Why can't we have nice things? The hunt is on anew for a director to replace Chow, as the studio hopes to keep the project on target as a spring 2009 production.
The weird thing here is that Chow is still acting in the film. And I don't know the guy, so this is speculation, but won't it be weird for a dude who has forged his reputation as a writer-director-star of films like Kung Fu Hustle to be reduced to sidekick? Chow's used to being the man, and now he's at best fourth in line. Again, perhaps he can just let it slide - and remaining on board as a co-star would indicate that it's not a completely frosty relationship - but I definitely think this is suddenly not the project everyone envisioned, certainly not Chow. Variety says a director could be in place by the end of the year, which means producer Neal Moritz is gonna be his ass on the phone over the holidays.
So who should step in? Who would get the comedy in Seth Rogen's script, keep the action fast-paced but fun, and make it a blockbuster? That's a tall order.
Reader Comments (1)
That's really disappointing news. I love Chows work as both writer and director and thought that his style would be perfect for a superheroes comedy (basically what Kung Fu Hustle is with other genre elements mix in as well). My only other suggestion would be to go back to the well and try and hire David Gordon Green before they turn to Peter Segal (no offense dude, but Get Smart lack in laughs and action).