Canadian actor voices KITT for new Knight Rider
Last Updated: Friday, December 14, 2007 | 11:56 AM ET
CBC News
The studio behind an upcoming TV movie revamp of 1980s cult TV series Knight Rider unveiled some details about the project this week, including a new car and the casting of Canadian comic actor Will Arnett.
Arnett, best known for his role on the critically acclaimed but short-lived series Arrested Development, has signed on as the voice of the smooth-talking, artificially intelligent sports car KITT (short for Knight Industries Two Thousand) — voiced in the original series by veteran actor William Daniels.
Actor Will Arnett, shown on Oct. 2 in New York City, will be the voice of KITT in the remake of Knight Rider.
(Amy Sussman/Getty Images for NHL)
The Toronto-born actor, whose recent credits include stints on TV's 30 Rock and a supporting role in the comedy Blades of Glory, has also developed a sideline as a voice actor recording for animated shows, network promotions, movie trailers and advertisements.
Producers have also changed KITT from the slickly modified Pontiac Trans Am of the original series to a suped-up Ford Mustang Shelby.
Actor Justin Bruening, whose short list of credits includes appearing on the soap All My Children, has been enlisted to star in the upcoming two-hour TV movie as the son of Michael Knight, the main character portrayed by David Hasselhoff in the original series.
Bruening's casting echoes that of Hasselhoff's, who had few credits other than daytime soap The Young and the Restless under his belt when he was originally cast as the Knight Rider lead.
Also appearing in the film will be Sydney Tamiia Poitier, the daughter of acclaimed actor Sidney Poitier, while Hasselhoff is slated to make a cameo.
The film, set to air on NBC in mid-February, holds the possibility of a series spin-off if it proves successful. The U.S. network recently revived another of a former TV hit with its darker remake of its 1970s show The Bionic Woman.
TV's Knight Rider, which ran from 1982 to 1986, starred Hasselhoff as crime-fighter Knight, who was assisted by his heroic sports car/sidekick KITT in foiling evildoers.
The car's amazing abilities included the ability to jump across rivers, rocket to speeds of 300 mph and eject flares, tear gas, smoke bombs or oil slicks all in the name of catching criminals.
