The Green Hornet Casts Its Kato

Today, long after Kung Fu Hustle’s Stephen Chow had dropped out of the role, Columbia Pictures announced that they have finally cast Kato in Michel Gondry’s The Green Hornet. Filling the role of Seth Rogen’s sidekick will be Taiwanese singer/actor Jay Chou. “Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog!” said Gondry in a statement. “When I filmed him next to Seth, they had such great chemistry, and I knew the movie will be great.”

Briefly, let’s get to know him.

Chou’s most notable role in North America to date was as Prince Jai in Zhang Yimou’s Chow Yun-Fat/Gong Li starrer Curse of the Golden Flower, but he’s a huge music superstar in Asia, and he’s even directed a film himself: a Somewhere in Time ripoff entitled Secret. Here he is in that film, engaging in a piano duel:

We get it, Jay. You’re talented. You even learned English in high school, apparently! But can you dress up like a Backstreet Boy and film a music video?

Well, OK then. Also, he claims not to wear underwear. We’re sold!

· Asian Star Jay Chou Hired As Hornet’s Kato [DHD]