'King of Asian Pop' Jay Chou takes on the challenge of reprising a role once played by the legendary Bruce Lee, in Hollywood's The Green Hornet. Liu Wei reports.

To reprise a role Bruce Lee made classic is a challenge, even for someone like Jay Chou, the best-selling singer/songwriter, well-known actor and successful director from Taiwan. In the 3D feature The Green Hornet, based on the character of the eponymous American radio program, which has been adapted into TV series and film serials since 1936, Chou plays Kato, the versatile valet of Britt Reid, a spoiled playboy played by Seth Rogen.

Eager to make his life meaningful, Britt enlists Kato as his partner in fighting crime.

The character of Chou had its most brilliant impersonator in 1966 when Bruce Lee brought the gadgetry-mad martial artist to life in a TV series.

The 32-year-old Chou is one of Asia's biggest stars - the "King of Asian Pop", according to Time magazine. His albums have not only sold in the millions, he also holds the distinction of having Asia's top-selling album for 10 years running. To Asian-Americans, he is an enormous star capable of selling out a 90,000-seat venue like the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum.

In the realm of cinema too, he has made a stir, starring in the works of some of Asia's best-known directors, such as Zhang Yimou's Curse of the Golden Flower. His directorial debut, Secret, a campus romance made at a cost of 10 million yuan ($1.47 million), raked in 34 million yuan in China.

While his latest film role sounds daunting even for one with such a stellar record, Chou himself is unfazed.

"I did not know much about The Green Hornet at first - it was the idea of playing a role Lee has played that sounded awesome," he tells China Daily. "He is a legend, a god, someone irreplaceable. But I would like to try to make a fresh Kato."

It is the first time Chou has worked on a Hollywood project, and the first time an Asian singer has led a Hollywood film.