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‘Knight Rider’ is getting (another) reboot, this time from ‘Fast & Furious’ director Justin Lin

David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight and KITT in "Knight Rider."
David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight and KITT in “Knight Rider.”
(NBC / Getty Images)
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“Knight Rider” is getting another reboot.

“Star Trek Beyond” director Justin Lin has been tapped to produce the new digital series for Machinima along with Lin’s YOMYOMF and NBCUniversal Brand Development.

“ ‘Knight Rider’ is an iconic franchise whose concepts of AI and autonomous vehicles were science fiction in the 1980s and are now science fact,” Machinima Chief Executive Chad Gutstein said in a press release. “Justin is one of the leading storytellers of his generation and we couldn’t be more excited to work with him on re-invigorating ‘Knight Rider’ for a new generation of fans.”

Lin, of course, is no stranger to car franchises. He’s directed four installments of “The Fast and the Furious” movies, starting with 2006’s “Tokyo Drift” through 2013’s “Fast & Furious 6.” The action films are known for their awesome street racing and vehicular heists, so just imagine what he could do with an artificially intelligent, self-aware, nearly indestructible car.

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The original “Knight Rider” ran from 1982 to 1986 and starred David Hasselhoff as Michael Knight, the human half of a high-tech crime fighting duo. Knight’s partner of sorts was KITT — or Knight Industries Two Thousand — an artificial-intelligence-enhanced Pontiac Firebird Trans Am. The short-lived 2008 reboot of the show followed Knight’s estranged son, played by Justin Bruening.

The new “Knight Rider” is Machinima’s latest original live action series based on popular entertainment franchises. Their previous productions include “Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome,” “Mortal Kombat: Legacy,” “Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist,” “Street Fighter: Resurrection” and “Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn.”

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Machinima is eyeing a 2017 launch for the new show.

tracy.brown@latimes.com

Twitter: @tracycbrown

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