The show followed Reid, the owner of a newspaper dubbed The Daily Sentinel, who moonlights as a masked crimefighter, with only District Attorney Lenore Case (Wende Wagner) aware of Hornet's true identity as media magnate Britt Reid.

While the series only ran one season between 1967 and 1968, it gained a cult following as Bruce Lee rose to prominence as a martial arts film star.

Both Williams and Lee also starred as The Green Hornet and Kato in the second season of the Batman TV series starring Adam West and Burt Ward.

There was also a 1994 Hong Kong action film adaptation starring Kar Lok Chin, and a 2006 short film based on the character. 

Sony Pictures released a new remake The Green Hornet in January 2011, which Seth Rogen starred in and produced, while also co-writing the script with his writing partner Evan Goldberg (Superbad).

The remake took a slightly different approach, with Rogen's Britt Reid the spoiled playboy son of a media mogul (Tom Wilkinson), and upon his sudden death, takes control of his media empire and decides to become a costumed hero as well.

Jay Chou starred as Kato, with Cameron Diaz as Lenore Case and Christoph Waltz as the villainous Chudnofsky, grossing a modest $98.7 million domestic and $227.8 million worldwide from a $120 million budget.

Amasia's co-founders Michael Helfant and Bradley Gallo are producing the new Green Hornet adaptation, though no writer or director is attached yet.

'The Green Hornet is one of the most iconic and beloved superhero tales ever created, and it has entertained generations of fans in every form of storytelling,' Universal Pictures president Peter Cramer said in a statement.  

'We are thrilled to be partnering with Michael, Bradley, and the entire Amasia team to launch an exciting new cinematic world for Britt Reid, Kato, and the Black Beauty, and we can't wait to share it with global audiences soon,' he concluded.