Jalopnik
UPDATE: Official press photos added in the gallery below and the shot above. Supposedly we'll have Cylon-like red lights in a video coming shortly. Also press release now below the jump. UPDATE 2: Now we have video here! The Knight Rider Mustang story we first broke last month, and then brought you the first pictures of a week later, is now officially official, KITT from the new Knight Rider series is a Shelby Mustang GT500KR. Goodbye, F-Body. Hello, Ford body. We've got a reporter live at a press conference going on right now in sunny California so we'll have her video and photos shortly. We're also assuming we'll have the full press release up after the jump in a few minutes. For now, sit back and reminisce — and whatever you do, don't go here.
UPDATED 'KNIGHT RIDER' REVS UP TO RETURN TO NBC FOR SPECIAL TWO-HOUR MOVIE EVENT ON FEBRUARY 17 AS NEW KITT CAR IS REVEALED "Knight Rider" Cast Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Tamiia Poitier and Bruce Davison Participate at the Unveiling Event Showcasing the Customized KITT Ford Mustang to Be Featured in Movie Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") to Serve as Executive Producers; David Hasselhoff, the Star of the Original "Knight Rider" Series, Appears as a Special Guest Star in His Original Role as Michael Knight NBC Also Forms Partnership with Ford Motor Company That Provides for Unique Content Opportunity BURBANK - December 12, 2007 - As "Knight Rider" — NBC's iconic 1980s television classic that became a runaway success, comes roaring back to life on the network with an updated sequel that will air as a two-hour movie event on Sunday, February 17 (9-11 p.m. ET) — NBC unveiled the new customized KITT Ford Mustang to be featured in the series in a press event held at NBC's Burbank Studios today. The movie stars Justin Bruening ("Cold Case," "All My Children"), Deanna Russo ("NCIS," "The Young and the Restless"), Sydney Tamiia Poitier ("Veronica Mars," "Grindhouse") and Bruce Davison ("Breach," "Close to Home"). In addition, David Hasselhoff (NBC's "America's Got Talent") — who starred in the popular lead role as Michael Knight for four seasons during the original series — returns as the same character in a special guest-star appearance. Will Arnett (NBC's "30 Rock," "Blades of Glory") will provide the voice of KITT. Dave Bartis ("Heist," "The O.C.") and Doug Liman ("Mr. and Mrs. Smith," "The Bourne Identity") serve as executive producers. NBC also has an arrangement with Ford Motor Company that provides for a unique content opportunity that makes the Ford Mustang one of the stars of the movie. The three cars to be employed in the series include the KITT Hero — a Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR that is playing the part of the everyday Hero car with 540 horsepower; the KITT Attack — a super high-speed version of the Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR Hero car that transforms into Attack mode with the help of air-ride technology and specialized body parts — and a KITT Remote, which is a driverless Ford Mustang Shelby GT500KR version of the Hero vehicle.As the original story resumes, the new KITT (Knight Industries Three Thousand) is absolutely the coolest car ever created: its supercomputer capable of hacking almost any system; its weapons systems efficient; and its body — thanks to its creator's work and nanotechnology — is capable of actually shifting shape and color. Plus, its artificial intelligence makes it the ideal crime-fighting partner: logical, precise and possessing infinite knowledge. It is the ultimate car — and someone will be willing to do anything to obtain it.
Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' (Davison) footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from KITT warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first KITT 25 years ago — and that her father is in serious danger.
Sarah and KITT track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer (Bruening), a 23-year-old ex-Army Ranger, whom Sarah hasn't seen since he left home at 18. Having served in Iraq, Mike is now jaded and lost and initially resistant. Eventually he agrees to help Sarah and the two set out to discover who's behind the attempt to procure KITT and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai (Poitier) plays the agile yet tough FBI agent who has a long-standing friendship with Charles and Sarah. Due to those ties, she is brought into the mix to help in the search.
David Andron is supervising producer and writer. Steve Shill ("Dexter," "The Tudors"), also a co-executive producer, directs the two-hour movie from Universal Media Studios and Dutch Oven Productions.
Comments
So looking forward to it!
This would make more sense if Knight Rider was originally filmed in the late 60's. I guess Ford was able to pony (har har) up more cash than GM for product placement this time around.
Bah! 350Z or GT-R for the win.
So who is going to be KITT's voice? William Daniels is still alive, but since the car's different, the voice should be too.
Since Mike Rowe is already doing work for Ford, I think it'd be a good fit!
The strong rumor currently is Will Arnett
@neps: Now, that would be comedy.
@johnnyichiban: Well I have it narrowed down to Mel Gibson, Michael Richards, Duane Chapman or Don Imus.
Oh wait, never mind, I was talking about KKKITT.
Will Arnett is offical according to NBCs just released PR:
[www.knightrideronline.com]
@POLAR:
"Puerto Ricans are lazy, Michael"
@POLAR: I want Mr.Feeny. He is the only KITT for me.
From what I read, the new KITT is supposed to be a transformer as well. So, all the work they did on the CGI Mustang in the movie will benefit the series.
@neps: would be awesome. for once, they will have NOT made a huge mistake :)
I can just see the banner now "KITT Love Michael" :)
GOB as KITT???
@neps: Will he be performing illusions?
@Dr.Danger: I hope so!
@vincedotcom: That was a Camaro in the Transformers movie.
Utterly wrong.
Not just that there's something wrong with it not being GM...I mean, unless they need a back seat, there's the Vette...if they do there's the Camaro. Or hell, the G8.
No....what's wrong is that the light strip is above the grille. The Firebird didn't really have a grille to speak of, so the light strip really drew the eye.
With this, it's kind of like that photoshopped picture of the girl with four eyes. [www.coolopticalillusions.com]
They should just illuminate the whole grille.
@Dr.Danger: you know it. because a trick something a whore does for money....or candy!
Jalop tie in....Will Arnett was the voice in the GMC Professional Grade commercials from a few yrs back. Also the lamisil toe fungus monster dude or some such thing
@johnnyichiban: ...Lindsay Lohan, Mickey Rourke, Rebecca De Mornay, Kiefer Sutherland, Kirsten Storms, Ty Pennington, Eve and Taboo, Ray Liotta, and Lost star Daniel Dae Kim all tried out for DUIKITT!
@Dr.Danger: I tend to agree. Any other voice just doesn't seem right. Although I would enjoy it all the more if the voice was, say, Gilbert Gottfried?
"I CAN'T believe you're doing that. What did I do to deserve getting partnered up with you? THAT'S IT. I'm going home. You can friggin' walk!"
Or Michael Dorn?
"CRUSH THEM, Michael."
How about Joan Rivers? Mr. T? DOCTOR PHIL. Come on, there are SO many great candidates out there.
@POLAR: Is that KITT's cousin car that is trying to work itself through rehab but cant because CARR is an abusive SOB that keeps dragging it back down and the only way to block out the feeling of deep and dark despair is to drown itself in meth chased with grain alcohol?
"I hope we make it past season one, Micheal"
we've got the official photos up from Universal. Disapointed you can't see the scanner or the dash. But the exterior looks kinda cool, still torn: [knightrideronline.com]
Blasphemy!!!!!!!
@neps: Whats with the FATF double wing?
EXTRA DOWNFORCE FOR NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOS.
href="#c3297752">Dr.Danger: Christmas cards go on the top shelf, that lovely clock Aunt Annie bought you goes on the lower shelf.
I like the side gills/vents to make sure the trunk doesn't get too warm...@
It really looks like this show, which proves that Hollywood is truly out of new ideas, is going to be absolute rubbish. True the original was absolute rubbish, but it was so bad it was good as a comedy.
This is basically going to be a Ford advert since the press release says "NBC Also Forms Partnership with Ford Motor Company That Provides for Unique Content Opportunity". Given the financial mismanagement at NBC-Uni, a two hour Ford ad plus regular spots is a win-win for everyone except the viewer.
Dr.Danger:
@Rust-MyEnemy: Christmas cards go on the top shelf, that lovely clock Aunt Annie bought you goes on the lower shelf.
I like the side gills/vents to make sure the trunk doesn't get too warm
Apologies for the triple post.... I'm drunk/clumsy
@Dr.Danger: I believe that is for the legendary "Super Pursuit Mode". What I don't get are the quasi-brush guards over the head lamps.
@Dr.Danger: Yeah, I guess KKKITT would have to be white, and DUIKITT would have to be LiLo's banged up black Mercedes droptop.
@johnnyichiban: Those are eyebrows that they can animate to show KITT's expressions.
/O-O\ = surprised KITT
O\-/O = angry KITT
@LTDScott: Johnny-Five is alive!
@neps:
"Will Arnett is offical according to NBCs just released PR..."
They've made a huge mistake.
@LTDScott: But he'll probably also need o__0
I wanna take a bat to that wing,...god!
The new KITT's voice should be done by Dave Chappelle or even Borat...
As long as they still have Mr. Feeny as the voice of KITT, then I'm still good.
I think I saw the guys from Unique grinding off the VIN right before the Press Release.
@MagnificentBastard:
No joke! Use a crowbar to rip off the JCWhitney side sill extensions, too!
George Carlin as the voice of KITT.
Nope. Sorry. Gotta be Mr. Feeny. If they couldn't get him, they shouldn't've moved forward. Plain and simple. It doesn't matter that he's in a different car. He's supposed to be the same computer.
Wow, look at me using "he" to describe KITT. I wonder how wrong that is. Hmm.
@neps: I think vincedotcom was referring to the stang decepticon cop car in Transformers.
@neps: No, Michael, that's not my trick . . . It's my ILLUSION.
Spoiler Alert!
No, I'm not gonna ruin the movie for you, I'm just letting you know there is an obscene amount of spoiler on this KITT.
Come on, Man! At least make the aero bits look functional.
This is Knight Ricer not Rider...then again "Super Pursuit Mode" was pretty offensive. Even as a kid I was like, "Is all that really necessary?"
If Hasslehoff saw that wing, he would immediately get drunk and lay on the ground while someone else videotaped it.
This may be one of the most heinous looking Mustangs I have ever seen. Apparently Micheal Knight let his teenage son design this model from the Wings West and NOPI catalogs. I bet it has hydrolics and a "thumpin" stereo.
What horrible nonsense. KITT should've been a Vette Z06 or something. Back seat be damned. It's the only car made now that's closely tied to the original Firebird's body type. As Johnny said, the aero looks totally superfluous. One simple wing would've done the trick. Ugh!
I'll wait and see how they fuck up Airwolf.
@vincedotcom: I haven't heard about any transforming KITT but trust me- if KITT transforms it will have absolutely nothing to do with anything made or designed for the TF movie. Not technically or aesthetically.
Also, this new KITT looks like junk. But I expect nothing less of Ford at this point, after the whole 'roomates' thing. All that goodwill they built up with me by making the Bullitt clean and deviod of ricer junk is now lost. Again.
Taste the happy Michael!
@Kaiser-Machead: Airwolf could go many ways, AH-1 Super Cobra could be a cousin of airwolf and would work great, but they wold probably use some type of super commecial helicopter.
What!?!? No glass roof?!?! How does the side ejector seat work then?
"KITT is a Shelby GT500KR Mustang"
and I will never watch it because of that. Not that I have anything against the pony, but KITT belongs in a Firebird, always has always will.
Since KITT is now in a stang I could care less which actor plays his voice.