“The Green Hornet” is not a drug comedy, but star and co-writer Seth Rogen knows he will have to remind people of that again and again between now and the film’s January release.

“It might be the only movie we have without any explicit pot references,” Rogen said, referring to himself and writing partner Evan Goldberg, a tandem that has given the world the bong-hit cinema of “Superbad” and “The Pineapple Express.” This film’s emerald title led to a lot of hemp wisecracks from the cast and crew.

“Yes, there were a lot of jokes flying around the set about the name of the movie — jokes that the studio begs me not to make. But I will.” Rogen, with a wink, added that his masked man and Kato might go the Cheech and Chong route for “Green Hornet 2.” “If they let us do an R-rated sequel, maybe we can go there: ‘The Greener Hornet.’“

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Evan Goldberg, the writing partner of Superbad actor Seth Rogen, has revealed that the team behind Superbad and Pineapple Express are set for a host of new projects. According to the writer, new films include a “top secret super project” called Sausage Party.

“I can tell you no more….but it involves Seth [Rogen] and Jonah [Hill] who star, and Conrad Vernon (voice actor from Monsters Vs. Aliens and Shrek Forever After) and Mark Osborne (director of Kung Fu Panda) are involved,” Goldberg told The Playlist.

He added: “We’ve written that, we’ve finished and are going out to studios with now. We’re very passionate about it. Sausage Party is very special to us.”

Goldberg also explained Rogen is also hoping to get his 2007 short film, Jay And Seth vs The Apocalypse, made into a feature film, starring The Sorcerer’s Apprentice’s Jay Baruchel. (Source)

The catty back-and-forth between Seth Rogen and Entourage executive producer Doug Ellin is more interesting than anything that has happened on the show in a very long time. In an interview with TV Guide, Ellin claims that he harbors no ill will toward the actor, who told GQ in 2008 that Entourage wasn’t funny. In fact, Ellin says he originally considered Rogen for the part of Turtle.

“I’m a fan of Rogen’s,” Ellin said, “I had seen him in Undeclared, and I said to our casting director, ‘There’s a Midwestern kind of guy who I think would be funny for this show.’ But then we found Jerry [Ferrara, who plays Turtle], so we went that way.”

As for the Turtle quip in a 2009 episode that Rogen’s “ugliness is oddly fascinating” (which resulted in Rogen calling Ellin a “moron” and “asshole”), Ellin said that, despite his appreciation for the actor, he couldn’t let Rogen completely off the hook for his GQ comment: “If he’s going to say the show sucks, I’m going to say he’s ugly,” Ellin explained. Ellin’s contention he has no problem with Rogen is also a bit hard to take considering he has now forever linked the actor to a character Rogen went out of his way to bash in the episode of The Simpsons he wrote. (Source)

Giving Michel Gondry a big movie to direct was an inspired choice. That he’s making an adaptation of a comic book and old t.v. show is even more impressive. The Green Hornet stars Seth Rogen, Christoph Waltz and Cameron Diaz. As with all major releases there’s been rumours and talk of studio strife and technology du jour, 3D. Latino Review got Gondry to air his thoughts on the forthcoming movie and went on the defensive:

“If the film is not good, the studio will stop paying any money… Believe me, if they did not think the movie would be great they would stop spending any money on it. It’s how big corporations work. They don’t spend money to save a project, they spend money when they think they’re going to get more money back.”

The worst thing that can happen, well there’s plenty of things, but the most salient would be if the film resembles a smothered version of what a Michel Gondry could/should be, meaning: insane, beautiful and highly inventive work.

Gondry also pointed out it was not studio pressure to film in 3D, but the grand plan all along. The idea of 3D and Michel Gondry meeting in a big Hollywood flick is very exciting (potentially). We’ll find out when The Green Hornet is released later this year. (Source)

Speaking at the South by Southwest film festival “The Green Hornet” director, Michel Gondry previewed his vision for The Green Hornet, and remarked that while it would be more conventional than some of his quirkier past efforts such as Be Kind Rewind, it would still offer his trademark style.

“I think the way the action unfolds, there is a sort of sense of geometry in the dynamics in the scenes,” Gondry told SCI FI Wire in an exclusive interview on Sunday. “I think that corresponds pretty much to my style.”

But when elaborating on his vision, Gondry took exception to those who have been criticizing him for veering from early source material, some of which can be legitimately found in ‘Green Hornet’ comics dating back to the ’40s…which Gondry apparently believes don’t exist. According to the director, who seems to hold the opinion that the original radio series is the only legitimate basis for the movie, there’s really no comic-book for the character at all.

“Let’s set the record straight,” Gondry said. “There is no comic book of the Green Hornet, so I don’t want people to tell me, ‘You didn’t respect the comic book,’ because I dare them to show me the comic book. I know that Kevin Smith did one lately. It’s probably great, but that’s his vision. There’s no right to claim Green Hornet is a comic-book figure. It’s a radio show to start with, and … a TV show from the ’60s, so that’s what there is. If people think we owe to follow the rule of a comic book, there is no comic book of The Green Hornet, so f–k that. I’m sorry, but I don’t owe anything to any aficionado of the comic book. I’m doing a film.

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Debbie Singer has launched a website called Dear Seth Rogen:

I’m an actress, writer and comedian. Thanks to a family connection, I’m pretty sure Seth Rogen is going to produce my sitcom pilot!

Seth Rogen is hardly the image that comes to mind when you mention the words “Winter Olympics,” but he and his crew will be hitting Vancouver during the games in a quest for movie-making gold. Rogen will produce and star in “I’m With Cancer” in his native stomping grounds at just about the same time the world will be descending on his fair city to do things like watch figure skating and curling.

The mad logistics of this plan are not lost on one of the “I’m with Cancer” stars. “We’re going to be the only movie filming in Vancouver during the Olympics,” James McAvoy lamented during a press day for “The Last Station.” “There is a reason no one else is filming during the Olympics.” The Scottish star added that there were “fabulous” aspects to the idea and said he planned to take full advantage of the shoot to catch some events. Not that the Scots are a particular powerhouse in the winter games, but you get the idea.

The reasons for the movie location are biographical rather than any Olympic subplots (so there is hope we will never have to see Rogen in one of those form-fitting speedskating outfits). The story deals with Rogen’s Vancouver life and friend Will Reiser’s battle with cancer in his mid-20s. McAvoy will play Reiser, who wrote the screenplay and is executive producing. Rogen plays himself in the movie and Anna Kendrick plays a young, inexperienced psychologist assigned to help McAvoy’s character.

“You wouldn’t call it comedy,” says McAvoy. “But there are bits of it that are funny. Because Seth’s in it, everyone calls it a comedy.” (Source)

Vancouver native Seth Rogen’s movie, The Green Hornet, is back filming. Cameron Diaz returned on set now that she has wrapped Knight and Day, starring Tom Cruise.

The Green Hornet has been plagued by setbacks (including losing both Nicholas Cage and Stephen Chow as co-stars) and the Hollywood industry buzzards have been mercilessly predicting disaster. But don’t count Rogen’s movie out yet. A set source says what’s already been shot is “totally great.” Said the source, “I’m not kidding, the rushes are terrific.” It was originally supposed to open in theatres this summer, but the new release date is December 2010. (Source)

If you’ve been following the coverage of Seth Rogen’s The Green Hornet the past several months, then you’ve read about all the problems the production has encountered — from concept to production — to say nothing of the lack of love it seems to engender online (yes, we’ve been guilty of a few flippant remarks ourselves). Now comes word that Taiwanese actor/musician Jay Chow, who will star alongside Rogen as Green Hornet’s sidekick Kato, isn’t really terribly interested in acting after all, with speculation ensuing that he just sees this as an opportunity to advance his music career.

“I went to Hollywood not just to make it big and develop my film career,” Chow is quoted as saying over at ComicBookMovie. “I went there to also introduce my music to the Americans. So that they will notice me.”

Chow seems dissatisfied with the Hollywood production machine, complaining that it takes too long to make movies.

“In Asia, we get through a movie very quickly. We get the script, we get working and it’s done,” he said. “In Hollywood, they have rehearsals that go on for half a month before they begin shooting, and shooting can go on for months. I’m a newbie. There is a lot of waiting around before my scenes and I cannot speak too loudly. I have to be well-behaved.”

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When it was announced that actor-director Stephen Chow would be dropping out of Seth Rogen and Michel Gondry’s adaptation of the classic radio serial The Green Hornet, many questioned whether this might be the final nail in the coffin of a production already beleaguered by a number of setbacks.

Gondry was offered the director’s chair following Chow’s departure, but that still left the hero without his trusty sidekick, Kato (famously portrayed by Bruce Lee in the ’60s TV show). Enter Jay Chou, an award-winning musician, singer, producer, actor, and director from Taiwan, most widely known in the U.S. for his appearance in Curse of the Golden Flower.

In a recent interview with Channel News Asia, Chou said there were a number of reasons why he simply “had to” take the role of Kato.

It’s a role that Bruce Lee once played, plus it’s a positive Asian role which is rare in Hollywood. Anyway, I went to Hollywood not just to make it big and develop my film career. I went there to also introduce my music to the Americans. So that they will notice me.

In a separate interview with The Star Online, Chou said that he had fun working on The Green Hornet, but that the Hollywood-style production tried his patience.

In Asia, we get through a movie very quickly. We get the script, we get working and it’s done. In Hollywood, they have rehearsals that go on for half a month before they begin shooting and shooting can go on for months.

The Green Hornet was adapted for the screen by Rogen and his frequent collaborator Evan Goldberg. The movie also stars Cameron Diaz, Christoph Waltz, Edward Furlong, and Edward James Olmos. (Source)