'Knight Rider' coming to big screen
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NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -- The talking car K.I.T.T. is heading to the big screen in an adaptation of the hit 1980s TV series "Knight Rider."
Series creator Glen A. Larson will write and executive produce the Weinstein Co. project, which he anticipates will begin production next year. The project had previously been in development at Sony-based Revolution Studios.
Larson has bandied about the project for years. "A number of people wanted to do a pure comedic send-up of it, but I always felt that would throw away the franchise," he said. "There was always some humor on the show, but this film will probably have more gallows, foxhole humor.
Despite the darker tone, he said he would aim for a PG-13 rating because he doesn't want to exclude the series' core audience. The show ran on NBC from 1982-86.
The story centers on the tale of a police investigator shot in the line of duty who is nursed back to health by a mysterious millionaire. He's given a new name (Michael Knight), a new face and a new car to help him continue his work. As in the pilot, he also seeks revenge on the criminals who left him for dead.
Larson wouldn't say whether David Hasselhoff, who starred in the series, would appear in a cameo or if William Daniels would reprise his role as the voice of K.I.T.T.
Other Larson TV series being developed as film adaptations include "Magnum, P.I." at Imagine Entertainment and "The Fall Guy" at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
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NEW YORK (Hollywood Reporter) -- The talking car K.I.T.T. is heading to the big screen in an adaptation of the hit 1980s TV series "Knight Rider."
Series creator Glen A. Larson will write and executive produce the Weinstein Co. project, which he anticipates will begin production next year. The project had previously been in development at Sony-based Revolution Studios.
Larson has bandied about the project for years. "A number of people wanted to do a pure comedic send-up of it, but I always felt that would throw away the franchise," he said. "There was always some humor on the show, but this film will probably have more gallows, foxhole humor.
Despite the darker tone, he said he would aim for a PG-13 rating because he doesn't want to exclude the series' core audience. The show ran on NBC from 1982-86.
The story centers on the tale of a police investigator shot in the line of duty who is nursed back to health by a mysterious millionaire. He's given a new name (Michael Knight), a new face and a new car to help him continue his work. As in the pilot, he also seeks revenge on the criminals who left him for dead.
Larson wouldn't say whether David Hasselhoff, who starred in the series, would appear in a cameo or if William Daniels would reprise his role as the voice of K.I.T.T.
Other Larson TV series being developed as film adaptations include "Magnum, P.I." at Imagine Entertainment and "The Fall Guy" at Warner Bros. Pictures.
Copyright 2006 Reuters. All rights reserved.This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
