'Knight Rider' Getting Yet Another Reboot

By Ned Ehrbar

(CBS NEWS) – The 80's series that made David Hasselhoff a star is getting another chance at life, as a new "Knight Rider" is in the works, this time as a digital series.

Justin Lin -- the director behind four of the "Fast and the Furious" films and this year's "Star Trek Beyond" -- and his production company, YOMYOMF, are partnering with YouTube giant Machinima to produce a new version of the 1980s adventure series for a potential 2017 launch on digital platforms.

"'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 CEO Chad Gutstein said in a statement. "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."

The series centers on a rogue crimefighter (originally played by Hasselhoff) who foils bad guys' plans with the help of KITT, a Pontiac Trans Am modified to be nearly indestructible and guided by artifical intelligence. Hasselhoff starred in the series, which aired from 1982 to 1986, as well as several made-for-TV movies.

A reboot of the series premiered in NBC in 2008, but it was canceled after 13 episodes.

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