Deadline is reporting that Leigh Whannell is in talks to direct The Green Hornet and Kato for Universal. The studio reportedly spent the past couple of weeks meeting with potential directors, however, as soon as Whannell’s name was put into the mix, it’s said they felt he “had the edge” to direct the film. Whannell, of course, directed the Invisible Man remake for the studio, which pulled in $143 million worldwide. David Koepp (Jurassic Park) penned the script for the film, and with the studio reportedly happy with Koepp’s work, pre-production is expected to be fast-tracked once Whannell officially signs on.
Universal optioned the rights to The Green Hornet in Spring 2020 following a competitive bidding war earlier in the year. Michael Helfant and Bradley Gallo, who initially acquired the rights from creator George W. Trendle’s family in 2020, will produce the film for Amasia. The Green Hornet was one of early radio’s most popular shows before it was turned into a series of movies in the 1940s and eventually a television series in 1966. Sony made a live-action film starring Seth Rogen, Cameron Diaz and Jay Chou in 2011, but the film was only a modest success having managed to make $227 million worldwide on a $120 million budget.
Whannell, who has built an impressive career as an actor, has been steadily building his directing resume in recent years. Along with the critically acclaimed Upgrade, he has also directed Insidious: Chapter 3 and is currently attached to direct a remake of Escape From New York.
Source: Deadline
