The franchise also includes three television films, a short-lived spinoff series, computer and video games, and novels, as well as KnightCon, a Knight Rider convention.
Knight Rider stories usually depict either average citizens, or ethical heads of corporations, being bullied into subservience to an overbearing or ruthless criminal organization.
Rejected by NBC, the lead character and actor were recycled for a short-lived 1985–1986 series titled Code of Vengeance, in it, David Dalton (Charles Taylor), a Vietnam veteran-turned-drifter, travels across the United States in a camper van, with only his dog for company.
The Dalton character was retooled for the planned spin-off series, whose pilot, Code of Vengeance, was a surprise ratings success in June 1985.
They are Kyle Stewart (Brixton Karnes), Jenny Andrews (Christine Steel), Duke DePalma (Duane Davis), Erica West (Kathy Trageser), and Kevin "Trek" Sanders, (Nick Wechsler).
The series stars Justin Bruening as Mike Traceur/Knight, and Deanna Russo as Sarah Graiman, Traceur's former girlfriend and love interest.
Sarah is the daughter of Charles Graiman, played by Bruce Davison, the creator of a new generation of KITT, which is voiced by Val Kilmer.
The movie sees Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff) teaming up once again with Devon Miles (Edward Mulhare) in a near future science fiction setting.
He is also paired up with a new supercar, the "Knight 4000" to combat Thomas J. Watts (Mitch Pileggi), a former police officer turned psychotic killer.
The movie also starred Susan Norman as Officer Shawn McCormick, and Carmen Argenziano as Russell Maddock (and the voice of the Knight 4000).
The movie is set in a Mad Max-style future where Jake McQueen (Richard Joseph Paul) is a smuggler who is contacted by Hannah Tyree (Hudson Leick), an employee of the Chrysalis Corporation, who want him to work for them as part of their video games division.
The movie sees Mike Traceur (Justin Bruening) teaming up his childhood friend, Sarah Graiman (Deanna Russo), her father Charles Graiman (Bruce Davison), and Special Agent Carrie Rivai (Sydney Tamiia Poitier) to fight evil, he is paired up with a new KITT, the Knight Industries Three Thousand.
Knight Rider is a racing video game for the Nintendo Entertainment System that is very loosely based on the television show of the same name.
The game sees KITT having to travel between fifteen cities that are featured, starting with San Francisco and ending in Los Angeles.
The game allows the player to take control of KITT – the Knight Industries Two Thousand, in a range of missions including, racing, exploring, chasing and others.
[10] The Knight Rider franchise has a number of novels, video games, and other materials that cover many aspects of the various series and films.
Also in late 2004, 1/18 scale die-cast models of KITT and KARR were produced from ERTL, complete with detailed interior and illuminated moving scanner, just like in the series.
[21] A "Fun Pack" based on Knight Rider for the toys-to-life video game Lego Dimensions was released in February 2017.
[citation needed] In March 2002, Revolution Studios announced a partnership with Mayhem Pictures to create a film adaptation of the television series.
[23] In April 2003, Revolution Studios hired screenwriters David Elliott and Paul Lovett to pen the film's script.
[28] On June 26, 2013, Brad Copeland was writing a script for a Knight Rider film after beating out Travis Beacham, Alex Kurtzman and Roberto Orci.
[29] On February 13, 2014, Schmoes Know reported that actors Chris Pratt and Danny McBride were in talks for roles and may use a sort of action-comedy hybrid in the same vein as 21 Jump Street.
[30] In December 2015, a media report indicated that a new web series named Knight Rider Heroes was in the works and would include David Hasselhoff.
[31] In August 2020, Deadline reported that Spyglass Media Group has teamed with Atomic Monster’s James Wan and Michael Clear to develop the film with Judson Scott serving as executive producer and TJ Fixman adapting the screenplay.