for V Kros this one...

[pheonix_knight]

Aside from the legalities of the new series.

Does GL have an opinion on what is now being done on the franchise?

Is GL going to take a more active role with the 'executive producer' title as it goes to series? I'd like to think so.
I'd love to know, with things as they are for KR08, what direction would he now take this continuation story (aside from whether or not he would have liked to start from this point) if he does become more involved. I'm curious even hypothetically on that one because KOTP was such a great storyline with depth that is missing in a lot of TV since then....

Would Mr Larson stay away from the project because of DH being a possible recurring star due to their history?

This isnt a question concerning the ongoing legal wrangles at all, purely from a creative POV, where would he take the new franchise?

[Lost Knight]

Funny thing is, as I understand it, a few years ago both Glen Larson and David Hasselhoff went to different studios trying to get a movie made (obviously before their little falling out). The concept was to have Michael Knight's son take over as the new driver where Michael passes the torch onto him and perhaps Devon would have came back as a hologram. That concept (except for the hologram, of course) is pretty much what the NBC Knight Rider became, so I can't imagine Larson is too upset with NBC choosing to take that direction. If he has any creative issues with the production, I would think it has more to do with how NBC went about it after the fact, not the basic idea. But that's just my guess.

[Victor Kros]

Funny thing is, as I understand it, a few years ago both Glen Larson and David Hasselhoff went to different studios trying to get a movie made (obviously before their little falling out). The concept was to have Michael Knight's son take over as the new driver where Michael passes the torch onto him and perhaps Devon would have came back as a hologram. That concept (except for the hologram, of course) is pretty much what the NBC Knight Rider became, so I can't imagine Larson is too upset with NBC choosing to take that direction. If he has any creative issues with the production, I would think it has more to do with how NBC went about it after the fact, not the basic idea. But that's just my guess.

- David has no legal right to pitch, design, write, produce, or control Knight Rider in any way shape or form. He doesn't have the movie rights or the television rights. Yes he is the face of Michael Knight and he did a amazing job in the role but the property never has legally belonged to him.

Because he refused to wait to see what Glen wanted to do and tried to go around him, it upset Glen to the point he no longer wants to have anything to do with him. With David now in NBCU's camp opposing Glen's wishes to make his motion picture, it makes things pretty much unsalvagable at this point. David is Glen's competition at this point in a project he never approved. I'm not sure about the hologram thing although I do know David commisioned some writer to make a script for a feature film involving the passing of the torch to his son but again, he doesn't have a right to pitch or shop it around. He also had no right to post a false cast list on imdb or approach Orlando Bloom yet he did it anyway to drum up interest.

Glen doesn't support what NBCU has done, I can't stress that enough so I would say no, he absolutely does not agree at this point in time with the direction NBCU has taken Knight Rider. If he had read the script, which I would like to point out while I had a copy he REFUSED to read it himself and never actually read the script himself, he would have been extremely disappointed.

He was equally as disappointed with the backdoor pilot's final product.



Aside from the legalities of the new series.

Does GL have an opinion on what is now being done on the franchise?

- He doesn't support it, that's why he's suing NBCU in the background.

Is GL going to take a more active role with the 'executive producer' title as it goes to series? I'd like to think so.
I'd love to know, with things as they are for KR08, what direction would he now take this continuation story (aside from whether or not he would have liked to start from this point) if he does become more involved. I'm curious even hypothetically on that one because KOTP was such a great storyline with depth that is missing in a lot of TV since then....

- Depends on if Glen and NBCU find some sort of agreement. They say money is the great equalizer but I don't think in this particular case, Glen is interested in money this time around. He felt that they already stole BSG's audience from him who loyally follow Ronald Moore's vision and he agreed at the time to let Universal have two years to do whatever they wanted but when that time expired he was going to evoke his rights to make a motion picture based on his vision of Galactica. Unfortunately the press and Moore began mocking Glen's original Battlestar Galactica and praising Moore's new vision to the point people started to believe he was the one who created it that didn't know any better.

Glen regrets making this choice because by the time the two years ended, to him it was already too late to win people back to his original vision for BSG. I believe this time he does not want history to potentially repeat itself and is trying to stop Universal before things get out of control that could potentially jeapordize his motion picture plans. He will release his movie regardless but what matters here is the audience that will pay to see it when it finally does come out. This is another reason I am making sure the film's script/story retains the elements that made Knight Rider what it is for the most part expected to be. If NBCU starts understanding this and actually listens to what the fans want and not what "they think" fans need, the series could redeem the short comings of the backdoor pilot.

Not to get off track here but it boils down to if Glen decides to reach an agreement with NBCU or if he wishes to fight them to get it shut down entirely. Either way it's going to be an expensive venture. If Glen agrees to some sort of agreement, I would guess he would probably view the property like George Lucas views Star Wars between the movies and the books. Glen will have his world of Knight Rider which he considers his "canon vision", and NBCU can have their own alternative one which to him will not be considered canon.

I've said this before, NBCU would have had a better chance making the backdoor pilot a remake then a continuation because they are bound by the history that came before it and if they don't pay attention to that canon history from the original four seasons they're going to suffer another Bionic Woman fiasco.

Would Mr Larson stay away from the project because of DH being a possible recurring star due to their history?

- No, I don't believe he would stay away from the project because of David but he would avoid contact with or association with him at this point in time.

This isnt a question concerning the ongoing legal wrangles at all, purely from a creative POV, where would he take the new franchise?

- Only Glen can answer this question. All I can say for sure is that Glen sees the need to start over from the ground up, I think he would struggle with trying to "share" his vision with someone else he hasn't had experience working with before. Glen likes to maintain creative control over his properties whereever possible. There would be definate creative conflicts.

I can tell you this much, the first thing to go with his involvement would be in my opinion the lackluster design of the Mustang and it's overly simplified dash. That much you can take to the bank.

=VK=

[pheonix_knight]

with regard to the mustang dash, surely ANYTHING is possible post production, so this may be addressed in the series..

and with the CGI effects of nanotechnology, the latter 2 issues mentioned are easily rectified...

[Lost Knight]

- David has no legal right to pitch, design, write, produce, or control Knight Rider in any way shape or form. He doesn't have the movie rights or the television rights. Yes he is the face of Michael Knight and he did a amazing job in the role but the property never has legally belonged to him.

Where my confusion has come into play is the fact that Glen Larson pitched the idea of "Michael passes the torch onto his son" WITH David, originally. I know David never had the right to contact Orlando Bloom or pitch this idea to studios by himself because he doesn't own anything at the end of the day, but the fact that he supposedly made these efforts with Larson the first time makes all the difference to me. So the question for me is if Larson actually was with him and went along with this concept originally, which, unless I overlooked something, I did not get from your response, Victor.

Because he refused to wait to see what Glen wanted to do and tried to go around him, it upset Glen to the point he no longer wants to have anything to do with him. With David now in NBCU's camp opposing Glen's wishes to make his motion picture, it makes things pretty much unsalvagable at this point. David is Glen's competition at this point in a project he never approved. I'm not sure about the hologram thing although I do know David commisioned some writer to make a script for a feature film involving the passing of the torch to his son but again, he doesn't have a right to pitch or shop it around. He also had no right to post a false cast list on imdb or approach Orlando Bloom yet he did it anyway to drum up interest.

I've always understood that.

If NBCU starts understanding this and actually listens to what the fans want and not what "they think" fans need, the series could redeem the short comings of the backdoor pilot.

I hope they've read that and are taking it into consideration.

[March2875]

Hey Victor what about the Magnum PI feature film that Universal is doing? As posted to IGN Filmforce both Larson and Donald Belisario were approached to return as Executive Producers and both turned it down so they went with someone else. The script is complete and casting is about to begin.

[Knight316]

Here's the link to that article just in case you couldn't find it. It's from June 2006 though so that info is probably outdated.

http://movies.ign.com/articles/712/712370p1.html

[Victor Kros]

Where my confusion has come into play is the fact that Glen Larson pitched the idea of "Michael passes the torch onto his son" WITH David, originally.

- As far as I know Glen and David have never agreed on a script. They only thing they agreed on was that the car needed to talk and collectively refused to pursue the movie with Revolution Studios. I would like to know the source of this information you've mentioned, I question it's authenticity for the moment. Additionally David offered to purchase the motion picture rights for Knight Rider offering a large sum of money and Glen turned him down flat.

Hey Victor what about the Magnum PI feature film that Universal is doing? As posted to IGN Filmforce both Larson and Donald Belisario were approached to return as Executive Producers and both turned it down so they went with someone else. The script is complete and casting is about to begin.

- I know Glen was asked for his opinion on the script and he refused involvement because in his words, "They don't get it, it's not Magnum." It featured some blockbuster over the top ending ideas that he refused to accept. At the time Matthew McConohey was the front runner to play the new Magnum. I would have to assume that Glen passed on it because he didn't believe in the direction the studios wanted to take it.

I also know he is preoccupied with taking other properties to the script stage besides Knight Rider at the moment. He doesn't like the idea of having to write "treatments" either.

=VK=

[Lost Knight]

- As far as I know Glen and David have never agreed on a script. They only thing they agreed on was that the car needed to talk and collectively refused to pursue the movie with Revolution Studios. I would like to know the source of this information you've mentioned, I question it's authenticity for the moment. Additionally David offered to purchase the motion picture rights for Knight Rider offering a large sum of money and Glen turned him down flat.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/14986

I actually originally heard it on AICN.com, as well as perhaps even here on this board as well. As you can see it is a very old article, dating back to April 15, 2003. During this time I believe Hasselhoff was subliminally stirring interest back up in Knight Rider, by mentioning it on talk shows and his little references on his appearance on Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

[PHOENIXZERO]

Matthew McConaughey? Seriously? Were they on crack? That just is one reminder as to why I hate these "modern remakes" of old TV shows.... I shudder to think of what "brilliant" ideas they had in mind...

[March2875]

Actually im not referring to that old article im referring to a brand new one also on the site. Here''s the link I couldn't put it in before because I was on another account and had no favorites.



http://movies.ign.com/articles/864/864172p1.html

[Lost Knight]

"McConaughey may not be a dead ringer for Tom Selleck, but he seems like a great choice for the role."

Yeah, why, because you need to sell hype for your Web site to be successful? McConaughey has no similar traits with Tom Selleck whatsoever. Hollywood will eventually stop with this failed "built-in audience" B.S. when they get enough consecutive bombs and realize they're still wasting their money. Anyway, Knight Rider should be one of the few franchises left that can keep its dignity or perhaps even gain more respect if the movie is done right.

[Victor Kros]

- As far as I know Glen and David have never agreed on a script. They only thing they agreed on was that the car needed to talk and collectively refused to pursue the movie with Revolution Studios. I would like to know the source of this information you've mentioned, I question it's authenticity for the moment. Additionally David offered to purchase the motion picture rights for Knight Rider offering a large sum of money and Glen turned him down flat.

http://www.aintitcool.com/node/14986

I actually originally heard it on AICN.com, as well as perhaps even here on this board as well. As you can see it is a very old article, dating back to April 15, 2003. During this time I believe Hasselhoff was subliminally stirring interest back up in Knight Rider, by mentioning it on talk shows and his little references on his appearance on Whose Line Is It Anyway?.

- Nowhere in that article does it say that Glen and David agreed on a script featuring his son taking over? It even says that David was going to play a role that was not Michael Knight? In all fairness, AICN isn't the most reliable source for confirmed movie spoilers. I tend to lean more towards latinoreview or superherohype for accuracy.

=VK=

[knightofthephoenix]

Actually im not referring to that old article im referring to a brand new one also on the site. Here''s the link I couldn't put it in before because I was on another account and had no favorites.



http://movies.ign.com/articles/864/864172p1.html

McConaughey P.I.
Actor may fill Selleck's shoes in Magnum flick.
by IGN Staff

April 3, 2008 - In what is possibly the sharpest casting of the year, Universal has reportedly offered the role of Thomas Magnum to Matthew McConaughey for their planned big-screen version of Magnum P.I.

McConaughey has been rumored for the role since early last year, but Entertainment Weekly is now reporting that the studio has actually made an offer.

McConaughey may not be a dead ringer for Tom Selleck, but he seems like a great choice for the role. He has enough cred with male audiences to make it work, and of course his hunky charmer status with the ladies wouldn't hurt the film's box office take.

EW sources say that McConaughey is reading the script by writer-director Rawson Thurber (Dodgeball) before he makes up his mind.

The film, which is based on the 1980s TV series that starred Selleck in the lead role, is not planned as a spoof, but will have a vibe similar to the original show, mixing humor and danger elements. The story line apparently has Magnum searching for a missing buddy with the help of his former military pals.

[Lost Knight]

- Nowhere in that article does it say that Glen and David agreed on a script featuring his son taking over? It even says that David was going to play a role that was not Michael Knight? In all fairness, AICN isn't the most reliable source for confirmed movie spoilers. I tend to lean more towards latinoreview or superherohype for accuracy.

=VK=

There were various articles stating that the basic idea would have been for Michael Knight to be passing the torch onto his son; it's just that it's such old news finding the articles where it's mentioned is difficult now. Mostly it came from quotes from Hasselhoff himself that he'll more likely be playing the role of "the cool, older boss." The only reason I even found this article is because I happened to remember it was on AICN.com. That was more to show where I heard about the idea of Devon coming back as a hologram more than it was to show that Larson and Hasselhoff agreed on a script. I assumed they agreed on this idea because the first rumors stated that Larson wrote the script and Hasselhoff would be returning, plus the fact that they went to the studios together. That's why I had the impression that they agreed on the idea. Evidently it was a misunderstanding on my part.