Stephen Chow who was set to play Kato has dropped out, and Seth Rogen’s “The Green Hornet” will hit yet another setback in what appears to be another film stuck in production hell. Originally, Chow was suppose to director and play the Hornet’s sidekick Kato, but gave up the director’s chair late last year.
SpoilerTV discovered that an open casting call for the part of Kato was made recently, seeking a non-specific Asian and no longer requiring any martial arts experience.
This comes as a surprise, although the original Kato was never intended to be a martial arts master. It wasn’t until Bruce Lee took over the role that he made the part his own and transformed him into how we view Kato today.
Rogen has said that the film will be a departure from the “Hornet” people expect, could it be that now with Chow’s absence, they will be dispensing with a Bruce Lee-inspired Kato? I guess only time will tell. We’ll have more on “The Green Hornet” as it develops.