Sony’s “The Green Hornet” is being moved out of next summer and will instead be released on Dec. 17, 2010, just as the year-end holidays begin to get under way.

Michel Gondry begins lensing the Seth Rogen actioner this week, making it virtually impossible for the f/x-heavy film to be ready by July 9.

Film stars Rogen as a debonair newspaperman who becomes a masked crimefighter at night known as the Green Hornet. Jay Chou stars as Kato.

Green Hornets release had already been moved once this summer. Sony announced in early July that it was pushing back the release from June 25, 2010, to July 9.

In its new slot, “Hornet” goes up against Warner Bros.’ family entry “Yogi Bear.” and Sony’s animated “The Smurfs” is set to open that day as well but is almost sure to move now that “Hornet” has landed on that date.

It was recently announced that Taiwanese actor Jay Chou had been cast as the Green Hornet’s sidekick Kato.

Seth Rogen recently told Hit Fix:

“We’re [Rogen and director Michel Gondry] both relieved and psyched about the change. It gives more time for post, which would have been immensely rushed if we were to come out in the summer.

He added:

“It also affords us more time to promote the film (now we can go to Comic-Con with more than a car!) and ultimately is a great vote of confidence from the studio. We got the same date that movies like I Am Legend and Avatar are getting, so we’re thrilled to be there.”