Knight Rider set for big screen
2006-05-10 11:27
Los Angeles - Kitt the talking car from the 1980s television show Knight Rider is set to roar onto the big screen in a feature film version of the hit series, industry press said on Tuesday.
Hollywood independent producers Harvey and Bob Weinstein are steering the project through their Weinstein Co. after sealing a deal to buy the rights to the series that made David Hasselhoff a star from creator Glenn. A. Larson.
The movie, based on the series that ran from 1982 to 1986, will tell the story of a policeman who has been left to die and is nursed back to health by a mysterious millionaire, according to Daily Variety.
The wealthy backer gives the injured policeman a new face and identity, that of Michael Knight, as well as the famed intelligent car with which Knight fights crime.
Franchise potential
Larson told Variety that he believed Knight Rider has the potential to become a franchise property that could give rise to a string of movie sequels.
The Weinstein Co., formed by the brothers last year after they left Miramax, the studio they founded, have recently been delving into the world of television for inspiration, with movie versions of the 1970s US show Welcome Back, Kotter and a big-screen adaptation of The Equaliser on its plate.
After the success of Knight Rider, Hasselhoff became a cult star, leading to his starring role in Baywatch, which ran from 1991 to 2001.
- AFP