Lin set to direct Knight Rider reboot

THE cult 1980s show about a secret agent and his talking car is set to be rebooted by Star Trek Beyond director Justin Lin ( right).

Unlike the 2008 sequel series, this reboot will be airing on the internet under the guidance of Machinima – the studio behind the successful web-based series based on the video games Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn, Mortal Kombat: Legacy and Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist.

Lin, who directed four installments of Fast and Furious and the latest Star Trek movie, is teaming with NBC Universal and Machinima to develop the project.

The series will be produced by Justin Lin and YOMYOMF, the YouTube channel he helped to found in 2012.

The plot of the series, due to land in 2017, is as yet unknown. It should, however, draw inspiration from the original Knight Rider show, starring David Hasselhoff ( above, far right), which aired between 1982 and 1986 on American network NBC.

The actor shot to fame in his role as Michael Knight, a high-tech crime fighter with an artificially intelligent and virtually indestructible car called KITT.

NBC has tried on several occasions to revive this now cult show. In 1991, a TV movie, Knight Rider 2000, was screened to gauge audience enthusiasm.

In 2008, the network finally brought the series back to screens with a new Knight Rider, following the adventures of Mike Traceur (played by Justin Breuning), Michael Knight’s estranged son.

Val Kilmer was even signed up to voice KITT.

Although it had a strong debut, and positive reviews for its early episodes, the series struggled to find fans, and was cancelled after just 17 episodes.

Lin will be pursuing his career as a movie director alongside the project. The Taiwanese-American filmmaker will next be directing Hot Wheels, based on the line of toy cars from Mattel. – AFP-Relaxnews