As of this week, James Wan is reportedly in the mix to join Spyglass Media Group’s latest developmental efforts to finally bring the hit action series, Knight Rider, to the big screen. The report cites that Wan will produce the new film with Atomic Monster partner Michael Clear, from a script by Ratchet & Clank video game franchise writer T.J. Fixman. Judson Scott will exec produce.
Featuring actor and 80s hunk David Hasselhoff, the original Knight Rider series aired in 1982 and ran for four seasons, centered on Michael Long, an ex-soldier and former cop. Rescued by a billionaire philanthropist, Long is given facial reconstructive surgery, a new set of hi-tech wheels known as KITT, and a new lease on life as Michael Knight, an agent for the secret crime-fighting organization, the Foundation for Law and Government (FLAG).
Other incarnations of the series arose in the years that followed, including made for TV films and spin-offs. Justin Lin (Universal’s Fast saga) was previously tapped to develop a digital series reboot in 2016 with NBCUniversal and the now-defunct Machinima label.
Previous attempts to bring Knight Rider to the big screen were evidently short-lived, but that never seemed to undercut fan appreciation for the 80s nostalgia that carried on over the years in movies, and even in music. Notably, the show’s original hero car, the Pontiac Firebird Trans Am showcased as the Knight Industries Two Thousand (KITT), can be seen with Hasselhoff performing in the music video “True Survivor”, the official theme song for David Sandberg’s 2015 hit shortfilm, Kung Fury; The shortfilm is a precursor to its feature length sequel, Kung Fury 2: The Movie, which is in post-production and in which Hasselhoff is also cast.
Wan is best known for shepherding the horror franchises, Saw and The Conjuring, as well as directing thrillers Death Sentence, Furious Seven and DC adaptation, Aquaman. He is also on board to develop horror thriller, Malignant, for Warner Bros., and is producing Mortal Kombat for New Line.
HT: Deadline