'Green Hornet' Behind The Scenes Featurette

Via Yahoo Movies here’s Columbia Pictures THE GREEN HORNET: A DIFFERENT KIND OF SUPERHERO. 
Star  Seth Rogen and co-writer Evan Goldberg explain their revisionist take on the venerable masked hero team of radio, movie serials, comics, and television.

Directed by Michel Gondry, THE GREEN HORNET stars Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward James Olmos, and Tom Wilkinson.
It opena in 3D, 2D and IMAX 3D on January 14th, 2011.
Note: Due to formatting requirements, this featurette won’t display via our front page video player.

Pulp Adventurecon, NJ

Pulp AdventureCon
November 6th, 2010Spi0340
Ramada Inn, Bordentown, NJ

Thousands of rare pulp magazines, vintage paperbacks and movie collectibles – a pleasant one-day show that attracts collectors and exhibitors and all things pulp-ish. The primary slant of the show is pulp magazines – The Green Hornet, The Shadow, Doc Savage, Weird Tales, Black Mask, Wild West Weekly, and thousands of other magazines.
 Check their website, which includes Walker Martin’s overview of the 2008 show, originally posted on the Mystery File website.
Hotel and Directions: Ramada Inn, 1083 Route 206, Bordentown, NJ
Time: 10 am to 5 pm
Admission: $5
www.boldventurepress.com

Elfman Not Scoring 'Green Hornet'

green_hornet_2011According to The Playlist ,  Danny Elfman (BATMAN, SPIDER-MAN) will not be scoring Michel Gondry’s THE GREEN HORNET, as previously announced.
Apparently, there is a scheduling conflict, now that the film has been pushed back to January of 2011.  The delay is to allow for 3-D effects work and post-processing for the film, originally shot in 2-D.
James Newton Howard (I AM LEGEND) is said to be in negotiations to take over the music composition for the action-comedy.  Howard contributed to the film score of THE DARK KNIGHT (with Hans Zimmer and others), and is set to write the score for Warner Brothers’ THE GREEN LANTERN.

New Green Hornet Pic, Interview

green_hornet_RogenSuperheroHype has an interesting, 5-page set visit and interviews about THE GREEN HORNET online.
Here’s a few excerpts from their interview with director Michel Gondry.
Regarding taking on the script:

What I liked was when I was asked again by Seth and Evan was that they bring back the spirit of the action comedy that I didn’t see for a while now.
There is a sleek and immenseness in the superhero movie that I am not really a big fan of. It’s very much about the attitude and everything is as to be a like super posed. As the approach of Seth and Evan was much human and fun of course.

And on the reality-shifting fight scenes:

I was trying to find a way to enhance the fight and use a technique that has not been used before. So basically we shoot at a higher rate. We shoot with one camera and then we separate and sometimes one guy is going faster and the other guy is going slower and then the guy who gets slower gets faster and etc.
It’s sort of like you buy a time from the future and then you have to reimburse it. So what it does is it really makes the transfer of energy when somebody hits somebody else so the guy who hits the next guy goes very fast and then the guy when he receives the hit he goes faster.

Read the entire article at the link above.

1st Official 'Green Hornet' Pics

greenhornet_photo2Sony/Columbia has released their first Ofiicial Photos from THE GREEN HORNET.
In the first one here, we see Kato (Jay Chou) and The Green Hornet (Seth Rogen) as they battle a group of villains at a construction site.
The Hornet is carrying the film’s new version of the crimefighter’s famous gas gun.
The first trailer for the film is scheduled to air tonight on ABC’s Jimmy Kimmel Live, where Seth Rogen will be a guest, and it will become available online tomorrow.

In the other picture released, we see an unmasked Britt Reid and Kato, who seems to be wielding a conventional automatic. greenhornet_photo1
(Click on pictures for larger versions)
Photo credits: Jaimie Trueblood/Columbia Pictures via YahooMovies

'Green Hornet' in IMAX 3-D

green_hornet_2011-Plus New Official Plot Description-

Excerpted from today’s Press Release:

IMAX Corporation and Sony Pictures Releasing announced today that THE GREEN HORNET, the highly anticipated adaptation of the radio and television masked superhero character will be released to IMAX® theatres, simultaneously with the film’s wide domestic 2D and 3D release on January 14, 2011.
The film will be digitally re-mastered into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience® and presented in IMAX®3D.
“We are tremendously excited that The Green Hornet will be released in IMAX 3D as part of our wide release of the film,” said Rory Bruer, President, Worldwide Distribution for Sony Pictures Releasing. “When you have a film that has such an imaginative and unique depth, scope, and visual style, you really should experience the film with the outstanding 3D elements that the filmmakers are delivering. We believe The IMAX 3D Experience® will offer audiences a truly state of the art cinematic experience.”
“Superhero movies typically play very well with IMAX audiences, making the release of The Green Hornet a great way to kick off our 2011 slate,” said IMAX Chief Executive Officer Richard L. Gelfond. “We’re pleased with the continued expansion of our relationship with Sony Pictures, and we’re excited to work with them to reach our growing audience base with another quality film.”

The press announcement also gives the fullest description of the film’s plot, thus far.

In the film, Britt Reid (Seth Rogen), son and heir to Los Angeles’ largest newspaper fortune, is a rich, spoiled playboy who has been happy to maintain a direction-less existence. When his father James Reid (Tom Wilkinson) mysteriously dies, Britt meets an impressive and resourceful company employee, Kato (Jay Chou). They realize that they have the resources to do something worthwhile with their lives and finally step out of James Reid’s shadow. Kato builds the ultimate weapon, The Black Beauty, an indestructible car with every weapon and gadget imaginable and Britt decides that in order to be heroes, they will pose as villains. With the help of Britt’s new secretary, Lenore Case (Cameron Diaz), they learn that the chief criminal in the city is named Benjamin Chudnofsky (Christoph Waltz). He has united all the gangs under his power, and he quickly sees that the Green Hornet is a direct threat to the prosperous criminal underworld he controls.
Directed by Michel Gondry.
The screenplay is by Seth Rogen & Evan Goldberg, based upon “The Green Hornet” radio series created by George W. Trendle.
The film is produced by Neal H. Moritz.

Note that co-creator Fran Striker is nowhere mentioned, which has been the character’s rights holders policy for many years.

'Green Hornet' Action Figures From Rogen Film

Mezco Toyz has released pictures of its action figures from Sony/Columbia Pictures’ upcoming film version of THE GREEN HORNET. (Click picture for larger image.)
Though the film has been pushed to a 2011 release, the toys will hit shelves in November of this year.
The 12-inch 1/6th scale figures are available for Pre-Order right now.
The site says the figures feature “amazing attention to detail, perfectly capturing both the actor’s likenesses as well as the spirit of the characters”.

“The Green Hornet features 11 points of articulation, as well as an alternate right hand, gas gun, and real cloth coat.
Kato features 9 points of articulation, and an alternate right hand with gun.
Both figures are packaged seperately in a collector friendly window box.”

Note the Hornet figure even has his collar open and tie loosened, as seen in spy shots that managed to annoy some tradition-minded folks I know.
THE GREEN HORNET, stars Seth Rogen, Jay Chou, Cameron Diaz, Christopher Waltz, and Edward James Olmos (BATTLESTAR GALACTICA).
Directed by Michael Gondry
Screenplay by Rogen and Evan Goldberg.
Due in theaters January 14th, 2011

Green Hornet Delayed

GHLOGO_CFQAccording to an article at Variety.com Sony Pictures is moving THE GREEN HORNET from this year’s Christmas holiday slot of December 22nd to January 14th, 2011—the Martin Luther King Jr. weekend.
Rumors had been circulating before the announcement, which might suggest studio doubts about the film’s box office viability during the competitive Christmas season. However, Sony claims the decision is due to their desire to release THE GREEN HORNET in 3-D.
The studio’s marketing department says the shift will allow time to complete the digital conversion and also that assure more 3-D equipped theaters will be available, as a number of other 3-D films will be competing for screens in December.
THE GREEN HORNET (based on the radio series created by Fran Striker & George W. Trendle that hit the airwaves in 1936 – and more directly from the 1966 20th Century Fox TV series) has been controversial with genre fans from the beginning.
Fans on websites such as Superherohype have expressed concern over Seth Rogen’s scripting the project with his SUPERBAD and PINEAPPLE EXPRESS collaborator Evan Goldberg, fearing that undue comedy would intrude on the fairly grim and semi-realistic adventures of Britt Reid and Kato.
Additionally Rogen’s casting as the traditionally dynamic and heroic young newspaper publisher, given his usual on-screen persona as an amusing but chubby and ineffective pot-head, seemed a questionable choice to many (including this writer), but the actor slimmed down dramatically.
After all, the first screen Hornet was the amiable Gordon Jones (THE GREEN HORNET, 1940), best known to most modern audiences as comic foil Mike the Cop on TV’s ABBOTT & COSTELLO—and he did a creditable job in the 13-Chapter serial.
Rogen, a professed superhero fan, assured interviewers that he intended to make a balanced action-comedy, and the selection of director Michel Gondry (ETERNAL SUNSHINE OF THE SPOTLESS MIND) soothed fears somewhat.
Production started last year with a target release of July 2010. When that date was pushed back to December, Rogen noted “We got the same date that movies like I AM LEGEND and AVATAR are getting, so we’re thrilled to be there.” Now, with the Martin Luther King weekend, GREEN HORNET will have the same date as PAUL BLART: MALL COP.
Only time will tell if THE GREEN HORNET will make a box office sting — or just create more negative buzz.
Note: The Green Hornet spawned two multiple-chapter serials from Universal Studios, the second being THE GREEN HORNET STRIKES AGAIN, as well as various comic book adaptations in the 40’s, 60’s, and late `80’s. Two “Better Little Books”  tied to the radio show were published, as were two paperbacks based on the Television version.

Green Hornet: Seth Rogen at Comic Con

THE GREEN HORNET is not due out until July 9, 2010, but that didn’t stop Sony Pictures from unveiling the new Black Beauty at this year’s San Diego Comic Book Convention. In the video, Seth Rogen, who stars as debonair newspaper publisher Britt Reid (alias The Green Hornet), has a few words to say about how faithful the big-budget feature film will be to the character’s past incarnations.
Starting this September, THE GREEN HORNET will be directed by Michel Gondry from a screenplay by Evan Goldberg and Seth Rogen, based on characters by Fran Stiker and George W. Trendle. Besides Rogen, the cast includes Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz.
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