Lets see how many people change their tune on Michel Gondry and Seth Rogen’s The Green Hornet now. The film has been talked down quite a bit in some circles — every time we run an article on the movie the same string of comments pops up about how Rogen shouldn’t be playing a superhero, how there’s no interest in the film, etc. Which seems crazy to me since, if nothing else, this is Michel Gondry making a superhero movie. And now, it’s him making one with what could be an amazing bad guy.

Nikki Finke reports that Christoph Waltz, who impressed just about everyone who saw his turn as Nazi Col. Hans Landa in Inglourious Basterds, has been cast as the villain Chudnofsky. Variety had previously described the role as an “intimidating gangster….who tangles with the Green Hornet.” Waltz makes a more than fitting replacement for Nicolas Cage, who had been circling the role, but never actually signed on.

This is all I need to be fully excited for the movie. Waltz’s performance was good enough to earn the Best Actor nod at Cannes this year, and both times I’ve seen Basterds I found him to be amazingly captivating. If Gondry can get the same energy level, and hopefully a very different performance, out of Waltz, The Green Hornet could be a great time.

The film is shooting now from a script by Rogen and Evan Goldberg. Rogen is Britt Reid / The Green Hornet, Cameron Diaz is a reporter and love interest, and Jay Chou is the martial artist and Hornet sidekick Kato. Edward James Olmos and Tom Wilkinson are also in the cast. The film will be released in December of 2010, and we may not see much actual footage until next year’s Comic Con, which Rogen has said he’ll attend to promote the film.