Kevin Smith has signed on to develop a Green Hornet animated series for WildBrain, the kids’ entertainment company behind Peanuts and Inspector Gadget.
Deadline reports that the newly announced family-friendly series will be set in a contemporary time and will follow the adventures of a new Green Hornet and Kato – the son and daughter of George W. Trendle and Fran Striker’s original 1930s crime-fighting duo – who will rev up the engine of the Black Beauty and head out on the road to patrol the streets of Century City.
[ignvideo width=610 height=374 url=https://www.ign.com/videos/2010/11/24/the-green-hornet-trailer-2]
“It’s an honor to escort the legendary Green Hornet and Kato into their very own animated series for the first time in the rich history of these iconic pop culture characters,” said Smith. “We’ll be telling a tale of two Hornets – past and future – that spans generations and draws inspiration from a lifetime spent watching classic cartoons and amazing animation like Batman: The Animated Series, Heavy Metal, and Super Friends. I can’t believe WildBrain gave me this job and I can’t thank them enough for the opportunity to extend my childhood a little longer.”
“We’re thrilled to embark on a new animated Green Hornet series with Kevin, who has set up an incredibly rich world with a cast of amazing characters – especially Kato, who is no longer just a sidekick, but is now a strong female partner to the Green Hornet,” added Stephanie Betts, WildBrain’s EVP of content and current series. “With his ingenious talent and passion for superheroes and classic franchises, Kevin is the perfect creator to update the Green Hornet. We’re excited to share the new Green Hornet and Kato with audiences worldwide.”
[widget path=”global/article/imagegallery” parameters=”albumSlug=stars-who-were-almost-superheroes&captions=true”]
Smith appears to have an affinity with The Green Hornet, as he was once attached to write and direct a feature film centered around the costumed character for Miramax. This project never actually made it to the big screen, though Michel Gondry later helmed Sony’s 2011 adaptation, which starred Seth Rogen in the title role, Jay Chou as Kato, Cameron Diaz, and Christoph Waltz.
Smith continued to buzz around the material and ended up turning the unused script for his Green Hornet feature film into a comic book series for Dynamite Entertainment. He wrote the first four-issue story arc of the series, which was published in 2010 to largely positive reviews. IGN praised the opening issue for paying “tribute to both the television and comic versions of the pulp adventurer while interjecting some modern sensibilities.”
In addition to the new animated series, Universal Pictures and Amasia Entertainment have recently teamed up to develop a feature film project titled The Green Hornet and Kato, which is expected to “launch an exciting new cinematic world for Britt Reid, Kato, and the Black Beauty.”
[poilib element=”accentDivider”]
Adele Ankers is a Freelance Entertainment Journalist. You can reach her on Twitter.
Source: IGN.com Green Hornet Animated Series From Kevin Smith in the Works