Former Marvel Studios executive Michael Helfant acquired the rights to The Green Hornet. Amasia Entertainment, founded by Helfant alongside Bradley Gallo, own the film franchise rights to the superhero property.
The Green Hornet is a masked vigilante who fights crime alongside his partner and talented martial artist Kato. The duo drive the “Black Beauty,” a technologically advanced car retrofitted with gadgets and weapons. The Green Hornet’s alter ego, Britt Red, is the owner/publisher of The Daily Sentinel. He uses his wealth and sources from the publication to try and take down the criminal underworld. The character was originally created for a 1930s radio show by George W. Trendle and Fran Striker.
Helfant and Bradley Gallo announced on Wednesday that Amasia Entertainment has acquired the film rights to The Green Hornet. Helfant is no stranger to the world of superheros, as he was the president and chief operating officer of Marvel Studios. Helfant openly expressed his love for the vigilante, citing the 1960s television show as one of his favorite series. “I loved everything about it – The Green Hornet, Kato, and of course, the Black Beauty. They were the coolest!” Helfant has tried to acquire the film rights in the past, but they ended up going to Sony and later Paramount. The president of The Green Hornet Inc. said the company is excited to be working with Amasia to bring the Green Hornet and Kato back to the silver screen.
The Green Hornet has been adapted from its original radio format to film, television and comics throughout the years. In the 1960s, The Green Hornet was a television show starring Van Williams as the vigilante and Bruce Lee in his first major role as Kato. In 2011, Sony Pictures released a Green Hornet movie starring Seth Rogen and Jay Chou, with Christoph Waltz as the main antagonist. The film took a more comedic approach to the characters, differing from past interpretations that have been more serious. The Green Hornet has also appeared in comic book series for several decades since the 1940s.
The acquisition of The Green Hornet as a property is a big win for Amasia Entertainment. Not only did they beat out a number of major studios to obtain the film rights, this could help Amasia build a franchise around the character. It could potentially be the company’s biggest and most profitable property, as we are in the golden age of superhero films. Based on Helfant’s enthusiasm for the character, fans of The Green Hornet can hopefully look forward to a movie adaptation that does the masked vigilante justice.
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