"Knight Rider" Movie in Works from "Cobra Kai" Creators

Michael Knight and KITT are going on a new ride courtesy of the creators of "Cobra Kai".

Jon Hurwitz, Hayden Schlossberg and Josh Heald, the creators behind the Netflix sensation, are in talks to bring Knight Rider, the 1980s action drama centered on a computerized talking car, to the big screen.

Heald, Hurwitz and Schlossberg are in early talks to write the screenplay, with Hurwitz and Schlossberg in early talks to direct.

The trio will also produce, via their Counterbalance Entertainment production company, joining Kelly McCormick and David Leitch (The Fall Guy), who are producing through their banner 87North and its first-look deal with Universal. 

Gary Barber and Chris Stone will produce through Spyglass.

Airing on NBC from 1982 to 1986 and created by prolific TV producer Glen A. Larson, Knight Rider was a key series of the era, featuring a ridiculous high-concept, a charming lead, and a memorable theme.

David Hasselhoff starred as Michael Knight, a detective who becomes an agent for FLAG, the Foundation for Law and Government, and is partnered with KITT, a modified, artificially intelligent and indestructible Trans Am. Together, they sped head-on to fight criminals who operate above the law.

While the original Knight Rider run came to an end on NBC in 1986, Universal has repeatedly brought the franchise back to the small screen, albeit with mixed results.

Five years after Knight Rider concluded, NBC aired the made-for-television movie Knight Rider in 2000, which brought back Hasselhoff and Williams as Michael Knight and KITT, for a future-set sci-fi adventure. 

It was followed by the largely unrelated TV movie Knight Rider in 2010, which featured a brand-new cast of characters in a Mad Max-esque setting, and the short-lived spinoff series Team Knight Rider, focusing on the next generation of FLAG crime fighters. Both projects aired in syndication.

After a decade-long hiatus, the Knight Rider franchise was revived by NBC in 2008. 

Hasselhoff returned for the TV movie, also titled Knight Rider, which served as a backdoor pilot for a new series following Michael Knight's son, Michael "Mike" Traceur, played by future Sweet Magnolias cast member Justin Bruening. 

Val Kilmer was also involved in the reboot, serving as the new voice of KITT. However, the new Knight Rider series was not a hit for NBC, leading to the network canceling the reboot after a single 17-episode season. 

At this time, all story details for Universal's new Knight Rider movie remain under wraps, meaning that it is unknown if the reboot will exist within the original timeline or be a hard reset.

Hurwitz and Schlossberg earned their first screen and directing credits with the "Harold & Kumar" movies and later wrote and directed American Pie sequel American Reunion for Universal.

They teamed up with Heald to create, showrun and executive produce "Cobra Kai," a series that served as a sequel to the classic Karate Kid movies.

Taking a new perspective on old story and property by blending old characters with new talent, and melding comedy with drama and heart with action, the trio found a way to appeal to multiple generations. 

The show became not only one of Netflix’s biggest successes but also proved to be a hit with critics and peers, with the third season earning an Emmy nomination for outstanding comedy series.

After the show wrapped its sixth and final season earlier this year on Netflix, Hurwitz, Schlossberg and Heald began looking for their next adventures, which include a new installment of "Harold & Kumar" for Lionsgate/Mandate Pictures.

The team has shown a propensity for rethinking classic stories and IP in fresh ways, and on top of Knight Rider and Karate Kid/Cobra Kai, the trio has also tackled a spinoff of 1980s classic Ferris Bueller’s Day Off for Paramount. That project would have told the story of the two valets and the joyride they took with the classic Ferrari.

Universal’s executive VP of production development Matt Reilly and director of development Tony Ducret will oversee the project for the studio.