It would appear from a freshly surfaced casting call that the role of Kato in Michel Gondry’s Green Hornet movie is currently vacant. After it was announced that Seth Rogen was to write, produce and star in a Hornet flick a heady cocktail of skepticism and intrigue flooded the web. Then, it was announced that Stephen Chow was going to both direct and co-star in the picture and the general level of enthusiasm went through the roof. After that, a nosedive as Chow left the director’s seat and while it seemed likely he’d also pass up on the acting position, nothing was made official and Rogen even intimated that Chow was just as likely to be his Kato as ever. This remained the case even after Gondry was announced as director.

That all changes now, however.

Here’s a short casting call for the part, as scooped by Spoiler TV:

[KATO] ALL ASIAN ETHNICITIES, Male, 20’s - early 40’s. Brit Reid’s manservant/chauffeur by day and Green Hornet’s martial arts-skilled sidekick by night. Actor doesn’t have to have Martial Arts experience.

We could chew that over all night, from the indifference to actual specific ethnicity through the vague age range requested to the lack of necessity for pre-formed Martial Arts skills. Be my guest.

I trust Gondry implicitly, and I think Rogen is a very dependable individual to have so closely attached to a project like this but, if the truth be told, I’m not reading much joy in the tea leaves for this one. Nothing seems to be going to plan. I’m hoping that some good, strong announcements come out of the Hornet camp soon and swing the focus back onto the great stuff this film has going for it.

I bet the casting of Tony Jaa would put a smile on plenty of faces… but should it? Perhaps Rogen and Gondry have more in store for Kato than acrobatics and balletic smackdowns. The kind of more Chow can do in his sleep.