K.I.T.T. Makes Top 10 Lists

Top 10 lists seem to be popular today, and wouldn't you know it? -- K.I.T.T. appears in three of them:

Entertainment Weekly have a feature on their website about the coolest TV cars of all time. There's no way the Knight Rider car could be left out of this one:

Entertainment Weekly - Coolest Cars

Wired.com have included K.I.T.T. in a list of top film and TV sidekicks:

Wired.com - Top Sidekicks

Meanwhile, the UK's MSN has included K.I.T.T. in their list of the greatest-ever talking computers:

MSN (UK) - Greatest Talking Computers

Update -- KOAM-TV have got in on the act, with an article about both K.I.T.T.s and other TV cars.

KOAM TV - Top 10 Most Famous TV Cars

The actual Top 10 is hosted by Forbesautos.com, and you can find out where K.I.T.T. came by clicking here.

SFX Magazine is running a full-page article on the new show in their March issue, entitled The Car's The Star. They interview Executive Producer David Bartis about the pilot, and he mentions that they have some ideas about how to include David Hasselhoff should they be picked up for a series.

London's Metro newspaper gave a small mention to that very subject in yesterday's edition. Neil Sean, in his Green Room gossip column, wrote that "David Hasselhoff is having a change of heart about starring in a remake of Knight Rider. 'He is ready to talk to the producer,' a source revealed." How Hasselhoff has had "a change of heart" is anybody's guess, since he has been the driving force trying to bring Knight Rider back continuously for the last ten years. Metro is the only publication -- in print or on the web -- that has suggested this.

More From Will Arnett

Will Arnett has spoken some more about the reasons behind his last-minute drop-out of the Knight Rider movie. He told Globeandmail.com:

"Reports that GMC forbade me from doing it weren't necessarily... They didn't call me and say, 'You can't do this.' It was an ethical question for me, more than anything. Because I have an almost 10-year relationship with them, it wasn't the right thing to do. No offence to Ford or anything. ... It's an odd thing that's never cropped up before and probably never will again."

For the full story, click the link below:

Globeandmail.com - Will Arnett's Life in the Cinematic Fast Lane

News Round-Up

Well, it's been a really busy week! Look for some new updates related to the new Knight Rider movie... and my review will be up shortly!

In the meantime, it's looking really good that Knight Rider will return as a series in the fall. The premiere broadcast brought in almost 13 million viewers, and the encore last weekend pulled in nearly 5 million.

David Hasselhoff has a message for his fans over at his website, describing the experience of shooting his cameo as a "blast from the past", and says he did it for the fans. He also asks that fans of the show let NBC know if they'd like him to be a part of the new series, by clicking the link provided.

Knight Rider UK have obtained a statement from Peter Parros (RC3) about his opinions of the new movie. You can read that here.

Stateside, Conan O'Brien's desk on his talk show was recently modified in homage to K.I.T.T.

Muscle Car Blog - Conan O'Brien's K.I.T.T. Desk

More soon!

One Knight To Go...

...and what do we know?

We've waited 11 years since the last incarnation of Knight Rider, and tomorrow night we get an all-new sequel. Fans all around the world are anticipating a great 2-hour event -- although how long it takes to reach the foreign territories is anybody's guess.

What is clear is that this is the first Knight Rider sequel that takes the core components of the original series and updates them... This show is One Man and his car, a lone ranger, not a Team Knight Rider. The car, while not a Trans-Am, is black as night -- not red. The theme tune is the familiar Knight Rider jingle recomposed. We know that David Hasselhoff returns as Michael Knight, although this time he's relegated to a cameo. We know that the iconic Trans-Am appears briefly. We're off to a very good start.

What about the story?

From NBC: "Sarah Graiman is a 24-year old Ph.D candidate at Stanford University, following in her genius father Charles' footsteps. But when men attempt to abduct her, Sarah receives a mysterious call from K.I.T.T. warning her that he's a creation of Charles, who also invented the first K.I.T.T. 25 years ago -- and that her father is in serious danger.

Sarah and K.I.T.T. track down her best friend from childhood, Mike Tracer, 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 K.I.T.T. and find Charles. Along the way, Carrie Rivai 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."

We know that Mike Tracer is revealed to be the estranged son of Michael Knight, and takes on the lone crusader role his father had 25 years earlier. We know that Charles Graiman "resurrects the Foundation" (which is a great hook if the movie is picked up as a series in the fall).

What about the car?

We know that Val Kilmer replaced Will Arnett as the voice of K.I.T.T. From the scenes that have been released, he has a great sound... softly spoken, a little superior... kind of reminiscent of William Daniels in the original Knight Rider pilot. My belief is that, like the original, this K.I.T.T. will start off a little cold and HAL-like (the famous computer from 2001: A Space Odyssey, and one of the inspirations for K.I.T.T.), and warm up as the story -- and his relationship with Mike -- develops.

We know that K.I.T.T. can drive himself, that he can change his shape and appearance via nano-technology, and that this model does not Turbo Boost... yet. Many fans have wondered if the car is indestructible; the ads for the movie have all climaxed with a shot of an enemy SUV colliding with K.I.T.T., being completely destroyed by the impact while the Mustang is undamaged. Any damage the car does sustain can be repaired by K.I.T.T. himself -- we see in one commercial that his windshield repairs itself from bullet hits.

Still, the questions outweigh the answers. NBC have been teasing us for weeks now with their advertising campaign, which has been very, very cool. One thing is for sure: This is the most anticipated Knight Rider sequel of all the TV spin-offs. If it's successful, it will introduce the concept to a whole new generation and spawn a series. And we know for sure that all Knight Rider fans will be watching!

News & Interview Round-Up

David Hasselhoff has a message for his fans about the new movie:

David Hasselhoff Official Site

Further to their interview with K.I.T.T.-builder Ted Moser, Knight Rider Online have released pictures by Moser of the car while it was under construction, and some really cool behind-the-scenes photos. Follow the link to see:

Knight Rider Online - K.I.T.T. Under Construction

Knight Rider Online have also released the first part of their great interview with David Andron, the writer-producer of the new Knight Rider:

Shadowy Flight.com - David Andron Interview, Part 1

MSNBC.com have a new interview with Justin Bruening, and he talks about the movie, the Playboy premiere, and his plans for watching the movie tomorrow night:

MSNBC.com - Justin Bruening Interview

Muscle Car Blog have a great article about how the scanner light for the new K.I.T.T. was put together:

MuscleCarBlog.com - LED Light Scanner: How'd They Do It?

MediaBlvd Magazine are running their version of the round-table interview with Justin Bruening and David Bartis:

MediaBlvd.com - Bruening & Bartis Interview

More Interviews & A Real K.I.T.T... Sort Of

Knight Rider Online have added five more interviews to their Electronic Press Kit -- or should that be Press K.I.T.T.?? Click the link to see what David Bartis, David Andron, Steve Shill, Harald Belker and Ted Moser have to say!

Shadowy Flight.com - Knight Rider Video Interviews

They have also updated with an exclusive interview of their own with Ted Moser, who built the Knight Industries Three Thousand. Moser has a history of creating cars for television and film, and offers an interesting perspective on the new K.I.T.T., along with some great stories of how the Knight 3000 came to be!

Knight Rider Online - Ted Moser Interview

With all the publicity that the new Knight Rider has been getting, it's appropriate that the following story should surface right now: The University of Central Florida developed a self-driving vehicle -- dubbed the "Knight Rider." Their car had to navigate by itself through an urban setting, maneuver through traffic, avoid obstacles and obey traffic rules and stop signs. Not quite on a par with the Knight 3000, but a step closer!

Knight Rider - The Little Car That Could

Playboy Premiere

The premiere for the new movie was held last night at the Playboy Mansion, and the cast and crew were there, along with plenty of other celebs. Access Hollywood has video of the event, which you can see here:

Access Hollywood - Knight Rider Premiere at the Playboy Mansion

Knight Rider Online has lots of photos from the event, but beware of some nudity!

Shadowy Flight.com - Playboy Mansion Premiere

"The Codeword is 'Knight'"

NBC have aired yet another commercial... and this one is the best yet! Running a whole minute, we see how K.I.T.T. contacts Sarah Graiman, and lots of action from the movie!

YouTube - "Hello Sarah" Commercial

NBC have also released five film clips from the movie. The first is the scene in which the bad guys discover K.I.T.T.; the second shows K.I.T.T. saving Sarah from the bad guys; clip three finds Mike gambling in a casino; number four is a fight sequence between Mike and Welther; and clip five is an escape sequence involving K.I.T.T.

Also available to view are several video interviews with Justin Bruening, Deanna Russo, Sydney Poitier, Bruce Davison, and David Hasselhoff.

One word: Awesome!

Shadowy Flight.com - Knight Rider Film Clips

More Behind the Scenes

Yesterday, NBC unveiled a behind-the-scenes clip of the new movie. Today, it's Access Hollywood's turn. Plenty of really great stuff here: chases, fights, and Michael Knight meeting his son...

Access Hollywood Behind the Scenes Clip

Edmunds.com are also running another behind the scenes video, along with an article about the making of the new telepic.

Edmunds.com - Knight Rider Behind the Scenes

The UK's Dreamwatch Magazine has updated its site with an interview with David Bartis and Justin Bruening. Expect to see more in their issues soon!

Dreamwatch - David Bartis & Justin Bruening Interview

"The Car is Hot!"

As the premiere approaches, NBC have added yet another video with clips from the movie, and this one has an appearance by Michael Knight himself -- and a familiar license plate also appears...

NBC Behind-the-Scenes Video

NBC's official site has also unveiled a new game that allows you to take the controls of K.I.T.T. Strangely, the object of the game involves Turbo Boost -- which is currently not an optional extra of the Knight 3000...

Knight Rider Power Jump Game

Knight Rider Online have posted the second part of their interview with Deanna Russo, who plays Sarah Graiman. This time, she talks more about her character, and her hopes for Knight Rider in the future, should the movie be picked up for a series...

Knight Rider Online - Deanna Russo Interview, Part 2

Bruce Davison (Charles Graiman) has something to say on that over at the National Ledger. He describes the experience of working on Knight Rider as "a romp", and apparently NBC are happy with the possibility of it becoming a series in the fall. Here's hoping!

National Ledger - Bruce Davison

And, just for the Stateside Knight Rider fans, NBC have also created a MySpace page for the new movie, with a few goodies available for download. You can visit that here:

NBC Knight Rider MySpace Page

Another Commercial & K.I.T.T. in Leno's Garage

NBC have released yet another commercial, this one with a more comedic slant... Very funny!

NBC Commercial - K.I.T.T. Remote

Jay Leno has featured the new K.I.T.T. in his Garage webcasts, where he interviews Harald Belker and Ted Moser about the design and construction of the new vehicle. He takes the new car for a joyride, and tests out the remote-controlled version! You can see it -- and hear Val Kilmer in his first performance as K.I.T.T. -- here:

K.I.T.T. on Jay Leno's Garage

The Mustang divided fans when it was first announced, but it looks AMAZING in that video, burning rubber and sliding round corners! Val Kilmer sounds great as the voice of the car... I can't wait to hear more!

Another New Commercial & Interview Round-Up

NBC have aired another 30-second commercial promoting the movie. The tone of this one is perfect! It has it all -- fights, romance, comedy... and that theme music! More so than any of the other spin-offs, this feels more and more like Knight Rider... Check it out!

New NBC Commercial - K.I.T.T. is Back!

NOTE: As per Neil at Knight Rider Online, Val Kilmer has only just completed his voice over work for the movie. The voice of K.I.T.T. in all of the NBC Commercials so far is NOT Kilmer.

Knight Rider Online have published the first part of their exclusive interview with Deanna Russo, who plays Sarah Graiman.

Knight Rider Online - Deanna Russo Interview, Part 1

Over in print, Entertainment Weekly are running an article on the movie, while Sports Illustrated have a two-page ad for the movie, with a watch-and-win competition.

Bend Oregon Weekly News have an interview with Justin Bruening online that has some interesting nuggets of information about the filming of the TV movie... and perhaps one spoiler:

Bend Oregon Weekly News - Interview with Justin Bruening

Meantime, Jalopnik.com have uploaded a Knight Rider spoof put together by Turkish gas company.

Jalopnik.com - Turkish Knight Rider Spoof

Videos, Interviews, & a Ride in the New K.I.T.T.

As entertainment websites around the world are catching up with the big Val Kilmer story, there have been a lot of other, smaller developments in the world of Knight Rider.

NBC have updated their official Knight Rider site with a new video section that focuses on designing K.I.T.T., bringing the new K.I.T.T. to life, and Mike Tracer.

NBC Official Site - New Videos

There is also an interactive tour of the Knight Industries Three Thousand, in which the new Knight vehicle shows off some of its new features. There is a nice demonstration of what we can expect from K.I.T.T.'s new voice modulator, which had been the subject of much debate in the various forums.

NBC Official Site - K.I.T.T. Interactive Tour

Meanwhile, Knight Rider Online continue to roll out their interviews with the folks associated with the new project. Today they have updated with an interview with Kevin Dunigan, who plays 'Smoke'.

Knight Rider Online - Kevin Dunigan Interview

More on How Kilmer Became K.I.T.T.

Variety have revealed more of the behind-the-scenes goings-on that led to Will Arnett pulling out of the new TV movie, and being replaced by Val Kilmer.

It has come to light that for the better part of a decade, Arnett has been the voice of GMC Trucks in General Motors' advertising campaigns. The new K.I.T.T. is, of course, a Ford Mustang. Because Ford is taking an active role in the marketing and branding of the telepic, General Motors asked Arnett to withdraw his participation.

"I was very excited at the prospect of playing the part of K.I.T.T. in the new Knight Rider movie," Arnett said. "However, because of a long relationship with General Motors as the voice of GMC Trucks, I had to respectfully withdraw from the project."

Obviously this is why we haven't been hearing Arnett as K.I.T.T. in the last few NBC commercials.

Variety's Article - Val Kilmer voices Knight Rider

Meanwhile, over at Knight Rider Online, Shapeshifter has revealed that Kilmer read the script, liked what he saw, and the producers secured his services in a 5-year contract... which means that if this incarnation of Knight Rider goes to series, Kilmer will be very much a part of it!

Knight Rider Online - Shapeshifter's Bombshells

A New Voice...

A strange turn of events was reported by Knight Rider insider Shapeshifter over at the Knight Rider Online forums. Unfortunately, due to contract issues, Will Arnett had to back out of the project a few weeks ago, and will no longer be voicing K.I.T.T.

The new voice of K.I.T.T. is none other than Val Kilmer. The producers are reportedly very happy with the choice, and voice work on the production resumed today.

What an amazing choice! I'm reminded of what Glen Larson said on the original series' DVD commentary... with a fantasy premise like Knight Rider, you have to fill it with really good actors to make it work. This new Knight Rider is anchored with the excellent Bruce Davison, Sydney Tamiia Poitier, and Justin Bruening and Deanna Russo both come from soap backgrounds like Hasselhoff, and there are some other interesting names in there. And now Val Kilmer.

Whether he would remain onboard if the show is picked up for a series is unknown, but this is sure to add some more weight to this already massive project!

Updated:

Shapeshifter's original post can be found over at Knight Rider Online:
Shapeshifter's Bombshell - Val Kilmer as Voice of K.I.T.T.

New Knight Rider Interviews

The publicity for the movie is shifting into high gear. Knight Rider Online have published the second part of their interview with David Bartis, the new movie's Executive Producer. They have also added a new interview with Sydney Tamiia Poitier. You can read those here:

David Bartis Interview, Part 2

Sydney Tamiia Poitier Interview

There are also some interviews and features in the print media. Here in the UK, TV Zone Magazine #225 has a 5-page feature on the movie, with some photos and interviews from the NBC unveiling of K.I.T.T. late last year. Stateside, TV Guide have a 2-page feature with some great new photos, including David Hasselhoff shaking hands with Bruening on the set.

New NBC Ad

NBC screened another 30-second ad promoting the TV movie! This is the first that is composed of actual scenes from February 17th's Movie Event. They have added it to the video section of their official Knight Rider site... click the link to go there:

NBC's Official Knight Rider Site

In it, we see shots of Tracer (Justin Bruening) fighting, K.I.T.T. driving itself -- and Sarah Graiman -- and our first view of the Knight 3000's dashboard console. The money shot is the highly-publicised collision between K.I.T.T. and an SUV -- a great demonstration that this K.I.T.T. is as "virtually indestructible" as its predecessor!

We also hear a few lines of K.I.T.T.'s dialogue. "Don't even think about it" gets another airing, as does "Hello, Mike." If this teaser is anything to go by, K.I.T.T.'s voice fits with the Mustang: there's more power in this voice, and I think there will be comparisons with Peter Cullen and Paul Frees.

In another quick cut that will leave Knight Rider fans salivating, Charles Graiman (Bruce Davison) tells Mike Tracer, "I'm resurrecting the Foundation."

It's about time!

Interviews & Publicity Shots

It's February! This is going to be a very, very busy month for Knight Rider fans, and it's off to a great start!

Knight Rider Online have the first part of their interview with David Bartis, the new series' Executive Producer, online! Check it out here:

Knight Rider Online David Bartis Interview - Part One

Online also unveiled 22 official behind-the-scenes photos, depicting several scenes from the TV movie. Follow the link to see:

Knight Rider Production Stills

Edmonds.com have an in-depth interview with Harald Belker, the real-life designer behind the Knight Industries Three Thousand. It's an interesting piece -- read it here:

How a Shelby GT500KR Becomes KITT - Star of the New Knight Rider

Only sixteen days to go!