Kevin Smith takes on THE GREEN HORNET

By: Patrick Sauriol
Date: Wednesday, February 18, 2004
Source: Variety

With his new movie JERSEY GIRL opening in about a month, Kevin Smith has received the call to make the big screen adventures of THE GREEN HORNET his next mission. Smith will write the script and direct the movie for Miramax Films as his next project, hoping to have the camera rolling by late summer. No stars are attached to the project so far but the CLERKS helmer thinks the idea of having George Clooney and Jet Li as the Hornet and Kato isn't such a bad idea.

This marks the second time that Smith has worked on a superhero project for Hollywood, with his last experience being the disappointing SUPERMAN screenplay he submitted to producer Jon Peters. "I always said I'd never do one, based on my limited experience writing on SUPERMAN and having to answer to the studio, the producer, the comics company and eventually a director," Smith explained to Variety. "Then there's a fandom that gets up in arms if you even try to stray from their character." Since the Hornet has been relatively low key in the public and the genre, Smith will have a freedom for exploration and his own vision that won't step on too many toes.

Adds the Jersey director: "I dig the fact that he kicked off a run of billionaire playboys who decided to put on a mask and fight crime, and that he was Batman before there was a Batman."


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