The creative team behind “Cobra Kai” is circling another ‘80s staple. Josh Heald, Jon Hurwitz, and Hayden Schlossberg are in early talks to develop a “Knight Rider” feature at Universal Pictures, with the trio expected to write and produce and—with Hurwitz and Schlossberg—also in early talks to direct, according to a report by Entertainment Weekly on Aug. 26, 2025. No casting has been set, and story details remain under wraps.
The project is being set up through the trio’s Counterbalance Entertainment banner. An initial draft came from Kevin Burrows (“The Pickup”) and Matt Mider (“The Package”). On the producing line, Kelly McCormick and David Leitch will produce through their 87North first-look deal with Universal, while Gary Barber and Chris Stone are producing for Spyglass. Matt Reilly of EVP of Production Development and Tony Ducret, director of development are in charge of Universal.
NBC aired the TV show Knight Rider from 1982 until 1986, . This was the first time the phrase “knight rider” was used publically. Glen A. Larson made and ran the show, which was about Michael Knight (David Hasselhoff), a crime fighter who is known for working with an AI 1982 Pontiac Trans Am called K.I.T.T. “Knight Industries Two Thousand”. They work together to catch crooks all around the country.
Knight Rider 2000 and Knight Rider 2010 were two movies that came out in the 1990s. In 1997, a spin-off show called Team Knight Rider premiered, however it only lasted for 22 episodes.
The “Cobra Kai” trio brings recent revival experience. Their series extends the “Karate Kid” story launched by Robert Mark Kamen, ran for six seasons, and earned a nomination for Outstanding Comedy Series at the 73rd Primetime Emmy Awards. That track record adds credibility as Universal explores a big-screen take on “Knight Rider.”
Next steps are straightforward: scripting and packaging. With the project still in early development and no cast attached, timelines are fluid. For now, Universal’s move signals a careful, nostalgia-minded bet that pairs a recognizable brand with proven franchise stewards—pending an official green light.
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