The crime-fighting exploits of The Green Hornet have been chronicled for decades on radio, television and in comic books. On Tuesday, Sony Corp.'s Columbia Pictures said it was making a motion picture on the newspaper hero.

Neal H. Moritz and Original Film will produce the movie, Columbia Pictures production presidents Matt Tolmach and Doug Belgrad said. Columbia optioned the rights to The Green Hornet from Moritz, who acquired the rights from Green Hornet Inc.

*****

The Green Hornet ran in several comic books and, in 1966, the character was turned into an ABC-TV series starring Van Williams as The Green Hornet and Bruce Lee as Kato. It ran for one season.