Kevin Smith has long been a face of geekdom in Hollywood, and it's no secret that his love of heroes runs deep. The director is getting back in the world of heroes by developing a television series for a hero that still has great name recognition despite being unaffiliated with DC and Marvel: the Green Hornet.
Kevin Smith has teamed up with WildBrain, which produces kids entertainment, to make an animated series out of The Green Hornet. Deadline reports that the new series will follow the son of the original Green Hornet and the daughter of Kato as they fight crime in Century City in modern times under their parents' mantles.
Developing content for The Green Hornet (which is also apparently getting a film reboot) is not new for Kevin Smith, as he was hired to write a screenplay for the hero back in 2004. His version was never picked up, though a version of The Green Hornet did materialize in 2011 with Seth Rogen. Smith's material didn't make it into the movie, but he later spun that screenplay into a comic book series for the character.
Kevin Smith has some experience when it comes to The Green Hornet, but making a show targeted to a family audience is somewhat new territory. The director, who has made a name for himself for raunch and horror in the past, had the following to say about the project.
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. 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.
It's unclear whether or not Kevin Smith is angling to have his Green Hornet series be similar to shows like Super Friends or Batman: The Animated Series, though I can imagine the project will be much more exciting for an older audience if that's the case. Of course, the mere fact that someone with as rich of comic book experience as Smith is involved should be a decent enough draw if this in-development series makes its way to television.
The Green Hornet started out as a radio drama, but may also be remembered for the 1966 television series. It was that series that introduced Americans to Bruce Lee, who played Green Hornet's sidekick Kato.
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