Kevin Smith is developing a The Green Hornet animated series along with WildBrain who is home to such brands as Peanuts, Teletubbies, Strawberry Shortcake, Caillou, Inspector Gadget, Johnny Test and Degrassi.
Smith has been a lifelong fan of the character and penned a screenplay in 2004 for a movie that was never made which he turned into a comic book in 2011 from Dynamite Entertainment.
“Thankful to join another epic animated series!” tweeted Smith on Thursday. “And in the deja vu department, I will once again cross paths with the flamboyant underworld figure known as THE GREEN HORNET and his partner in “crime,” KATO! Thanks to the folks at @WildBrainHQ for letting me drive the Black Beauty!”
“BIG NEWS: We have teamed up with renowned filmmaker, screenwriter and actor @ThatKevinSmith to develop an original animated series based on the classic superhero franchise, #GreenHornet,” tweeted WildBrain. “We can’t contain our excitement! Thank you @ThatKevinSmith! Let’s do this!”
The Green Hornet animated series details include:
The new animated series will target a family audience and feature classic Green Hornet elements that fans know and love, including his ultra high-tech car, the “Black Beauty”. Set in contemporary times, the series will deliver some exciting new elements as it follows the adventures of a re-imagined Green Hornet and Kato – now the grown son of the original Green Hornet and the daughter of the original Kato – as they partner to battle crime in Century City!
Kevin Smith said in a statement: “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.”
Stephanie Betts, EVP Content and Current Series at WildBrain, added: “We’re thrilled to embark on a new animated Green Hornet series with Kevin, who has set up an incredibly rich world with a cast of amazing characters – especially Kato, who is no longer just a sidekick, but is now a strong female partner to the Green Hornet. With his ingenious talent and passion for superheroes and classic franchises, Kevin is the perfect creator to update the Green Hornet. We’re excited to share the new Green Hornet and Kato with audiences worldwide.”
The Green Hornet originated as a radio series created by George W. Trendle in the 1930s, telling the story of Britt Reid, the wealthy owner and publisher of the fictional newspaper, The Daily Sentinel. By day, Reid oversees his paper’s reporting on crime and injustice, but by night he dons his green mask and ventures across the city with his sidekick Kato – in their ultra-high-tech car the “Black Beauty”– to battle criminals and villains head-on.
Over the decades, the Green Hornet franchise has spawned numerous comics series, toy lines, movie serials, a feature film and the classic 1966 live action TV series, which introduced future martial arts superstar Bruce Lee to North American audiences as Kato.
Kevin Smith is best known as the creative force behind such indie classic films as Mallrats, Clerks, Chasing Amy and the Jay and Silent Bob franchise. A self-described “professional pop-culture junkie”, he entertains legions of his fans weekly with his podcasts and YouTube videos, providing exuberant and passionate views on comics, superheroes and pop culture. Smith has written numerous Green Hornet and Kato comics for Dynamite Entertainment, as well as Daredevil comics for Marvel and Green Arrow for DC. He also owns the comic-book store Jay and Silent Bob’s Secret Stash, in Red Bank, New Jersey, which was the subject of the reality television show Comic Book Men.
The Green Hornet, Kato and Black Beauty are trademarks of The Green Hornet, Inc., which is represented by David Grace of Loeb & Loeb LLP.
Smith is also developing a He-Man animated series at Netflix.
