Columbia Pictures announced the casting decision in a statement early Saturday.

Chow had originally signed on to direct the film and play Kato _ the sidekick character portrayed by Bruce Lee in the 1960s TV series _ but dropped out over the past year, saying he wanted to focus on developing a superhero movie with Jack Black.

"Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind" director Michel Gondry replaced Chow as director.

Gondry said Chou impressed him during auditions by getting along well with Canadian actor Seth Rogen, who will play the title character.

"Jay is incredibly unique and charming and fights like a wild dog! When I filmed him next to Seth, they had such great chemistry," the French director was quoted as saying in the Columbia Pictures statement.

Chou said he was a bit intimidated by following in Bruce Lee's footsteps but said: "I won't try to be Bruce Lee's Kato. I will try to bring my own interpretation to the part."

The Green Hornet characters debuted in a radio series in 1936 on WXYZ Detroit and starred in several comic books. In 1966, they inspired an ABC-TV series starring Van Williams as the title character and Lee as Kato. It ran for one season.

Nicolas Cage and Cameron Diaz are also in talks to star in the Columbia Pictures adaptation, scheduled to be released in the summer of 2010, a studio spokesman said earlier.

Known for his slurred delivery of soulful ballads and upbeat R&B numbers, the 30-year-old Chou started his career as a songwriter but quickly became a huge pop sensation after releasing his debut album in 2000.

Like many fellow Asian stars, he also ventured into acting and was first introduced to Western audiences in famed Chinese director Zhang Yimou's 2006 imperial court drama "Curse of the Golden Flower."

His credits also include the racing-themed "Initial D," the basketball movie "Kung Fu Dunk" and the romance "Secret," which also marked his debut as a director. He will be seen in the upcoming action thriller "The Treasure Hunter."