On paper, this seems like a match made in heaven.
The director of arguably the best installment in The Fast and the Furious franchise (Fast Five) spearheadind development on a revitalized retelling of an '80s classic. What's not to love? It definitely can't be any worse than the most recent, 2008 attempt to reboot the beloved talking car action show. There's no casting news to speak of at the moment but expect an announcement fairly soon, possibily before the end of 2016.
Check out the official press release below. The digital series is expected to be released some time in 2017.
YOMYOMF, JUSTIN LIN, MACHINIMA ANDNBCUNIVERSAL PARTNER TO PRODUCE DIGITAL SERIES REBOOT OF THE BELOVED 80’S NBC TELEVISION SERIES KNIGHT RIDER
Los Angeles, CA –October XX, 2016 – Machinima, the first global Many2Many programming service focusing on fandom and gamer culture, announced today that it has partnered with YOMYOMF, Justin Lin and NBCUniversal Brand Development to produce adigital reboot of the 80’s NBC television series Knight Rider. YOMYOMF and Lin will produce the new digital series that is in active development for a potential 2017 launch date.
This deal is another example of Machinima working with elite talent inside and outside of its network to deliver high-profile, live-action series to its extensive worldwide audience. The announcement was made by Machinima CEO Chad Gutstein.
“Knight Rider isan iconic franchise whose concepts of AI and autonomous vehicles were science-fiction in the 1980s and are now science fact,” said Gutstein. “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 is the latest in a long list of long form, live action series based on the world’smost popular television series and video game franchises that Machinima has produced, some of which are among the most watched online programs in history.It will join the likes of Battlestar Galactica: Blood & Chrome, MortalKombat: Legacy and Mortal Kombat: Legacy 2, Street Fighter: Assassin’s Fist and Street Fighter: Resurrection,and Halo 4: Forward Unto Dawn. Combined, those series have garnered more than 300 million views on Machinima.
ABOUT MACHINIMA
Machinima is the most notorious purveyor and cultivator of fandom and gamer culture. The FIRST! Many2Many programming service (M2M), we create, curate and celebrate the best fandom and gamer content across multiple video platforms. As one of the largest online video platforms in the world, Machinima programs to a community passionate about video games, animation, movies, TV, and the other endless forms of pop culture. With a focus on scripted, topical and gaming programing, and a talent network of thousands of programmers, Machinima reaches over 150M viewers each month.
ABOUT YOMYOMF
YOMYOMF(YouOffendMeYouOffendMyFamily)is a digital media company and blog founded by filmmaker Justin Lin to support Asian American and other unique voices and projects. Since it's inception, the company has garnered 72 million views across digital platforms. Most recently, YOMYOMF recently partnered with Comcast/NBCUniversal to produce the Interpretations Film Initiative to support aspiring filmmakers.
ABOUT NBCUNIVERSAL BRAND DEVELOPMENT
NBCUniversal BrandDevelopment (NBCUBD) drives expansion of the company’s intellectual properties,franchises, characters and stories through innovative physical and digital products, content, and consumer experiences globally. Along with franchise brand management, NBCUBD includes NBCUniversal Consumer Products, and NBCUniversal Games and Digital Platforms group business units. NBCUniversal Brand Development is a business segment of Universal Filmed Entertainment Group, and part of NBCUniversal, a subsidiary of Comcast Corporation.