Well, "tonight" in America anyway, and probably "last night" by the
time many people read this. This is from ComingSoon.net ...
MINOR SPOILERS - not really anything we don't already know
Knight Rider Returns to TV Tonight
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KITT is coming back to television! That's right, "Knight
Rider" is returning with a two-hour movie.
Completely updated, Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) is
handing over the reigns to a new breed of high tech crime
fighters. For those of you not alive or for those who
just weren't cool enough to watch the original 1980s
series, Hasselhoff played sort of a modern-day 'knight'
who drove a car with super powers, and the ability to
talk. He was basically a cowboy on wheels. Pretty much,
if you were a kid in the '80s, "Knight Rider" was the
coolest thing in the world.
This modern version stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur
as an ex-Army Ranger (and the estranged son of Michael
Knight); he comes back into town to help his childhood
friend Sarah Graimen (Deanna Russo) find her father
Charles (Bruce Davison), who's in danger. This movie
tells the origin story of how Mike Traceur becomes Knight
Rider.
Justin says it was stepping into the shoes of a legend
that really got him excited to play this part. But it was
dealing with the talking car that was the biggest hurdle.
"It's a little unsettling I should say; the way I figured
the character was he was over in Iraq and fought in the
war and has driven everything, helicopters, tanks and all
that. But the first time he gets in this car, the doors
shut on their own, it drives itself, and he can't steer
it. So it's probably hard for guys to relinquish control
of anything, especially in relationships and now I'm
having a relationship with the car and it drives itself."
It's a relationship with Sarah that Mike quickly finds
him in; at first, it's a bit rocky. But with KITT on
their side, they work out those moments. "I need the help
of Mike Tracer to kind of keep me safe," Deanna says.
"Fortunately he's played by the handsome guy over there,
Justin Bruening, who is so much fun to work with. It's a
pretty interesting relationship between Sarah and Mike
because they did grow up together, but they grew up on
opposite sides of the tracks. It's kind of like 'Great
Expectations' when you think about it. There's this
childhood love and then they go their separate ways.
There's definitely some sexual tension now that they're
being chased by bad guys in a really cool car, it's
sexy!"
Deanna does, though, state the best thing about "Knight
Rider." "I'm smart, we all say big words and ride around
in fast cars and crack jokes. It's very cool!"
On their journey, the two get help from FBI agent
Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier), who has a history
with the Graimen's. Her character's back story is part
of many storylines that will be tackled in the movie
(and then possibly the series, if it gets picked up).
"My character starts going after the bad guys and trying
to figure out what happened to Charles to secure the
safety of his daughter. She's the liaison between the
FBI and Mike Tracer and Charles Graimen and all those
sort of KITT foundation people."
As for KITT, originally Will Arnett was going to be the
voice but because of his work for GM he couldn't do it.
Instead, NBC got the assistance of another '80s icon,
Val Kilmer but I don't think he'll be asking Maverick
for any assistance this time. "We all joke around on
set with funny things that KITT might say," exclaimed
Deanna.
This series brought out the big guns with KITT; they
developed three different models of a Ford Mustang
Shelby 500 GT KR for the new version. One is a
hands-free remote car, which can drive on its own.
Another one is the stunt car, and the last is a real
car.
Justin was clamoring at the bit for a chance to sit
down in any one of them. "Like a 10-year-old; every
time I turn the engine on, I just start grinning from
ear to ear 'cause it sounds cool. I don't get to drive
it sometimes, but it sounds really cool. It really is.
I feel like a little kid who bought his own candy
store and just gets to play around in it. It's got
KITT. I watched the show growing up, and I got KITT.
Playing Knight Rider sounds weird to me; it hasn't
sunk in yet. But it's just amazing the technology,
the things they can do with this thing now. That car
absolutely drives with no one in it, which is weird to
me, 'cause I've been in it when it does it, and it
freaks me out and it works as the character."
You can see the driver-less KITT for yourself when the
"Knight Rider" movie premieres Sunday night at 9/8c on
NBC.
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