Chow directs Hornet!

For months now, there’s been speculation that Asian superstar Stephen Chow would be taking up the mantle of Bruce Lee as Britt Reid’s aka The Green Hornet’s deadly sidekick Kato in the upcoming feature adaptation of the 1966 TV show. Truth be told, it was mostly Seth Rogen and Evan Goldberg, who’re writing and producing the film, saying how much they’d like Chow to play the role.

Rogen is officially getting his wish because Sony/Columbia recently announced that not only will Chow be starring as Kato but he’ll be making his English-language directorial debut on the film as well. And if you’ve seen SHAOLIN SOCCER, KUNG FU HUSTLE or CJ7, you know the guy knows a thing or two about directing.

When asked about starring in and directing the film, Chow had this to say: “I’m excited to be taking on ‘The Green Hornet’ — obviously, I’ve been a huge fan of the show since I was a kid. The idea of stepping into Bruce Lee’s shoes as Kato is both humbling and thrilling, and to get the chance to direct the project as my American movie debut is simply a dream come true. I’m grateful to my friends at Sony, who have shown so much faith in me for so many years. I’m looking forward to working with Seth, Evan, Neal, and the team at Sony, and I’m eager to get started.”

They currently have the film slated for a June 25th, 2010 release.