Hollywood actor Val Kilmer signed on to act in NBC’s remake of "Knight Rider" as K.I.T.T., Mike Knight’s "partner" and "America’s favorite talking car."

After Will Arnett, best known as the star of TV’s short-lived "Arrested Development," pulled out from voicing the famous crime fighting car just a couple of weeks from the pilot’s first airing, Kilmer, whose screen roles have ranged from rock superstar Jim Morrison to Batman, took on the challenge

"We feel really lucky to have Val Kilmer on board for 'Knight Rider.' Val's voice has truly elevated the character of KITT and brought a whole new level of excitement to this project for us. He completely gets the fun that can be had in the relationship between a guy and his car, it's just a perfect fit for the show," expressed executive producer David Bartis.

Arnett has a previous voice-over relationship with GMC, and Ford was apparently uncomfortable with the association.

NBC will be bringing back the action series in the form of a telepic: a 2-hour TV movie/pilot that is to test the waters and, if all goes well, transform into a bona fide series.

"Knight Rider" aired on NBC from 1982 to 1986 and starred David Hasselhoff as a curly-haired, blue-eyed, adventurous crime-fighter whose ally is a car infused with artificial intelligence – KITT. The show enjoyed great success and turned Hasselhoff into a teen heartthrob.

Doug Liman, director of movies like "The Bourne Identity" and "Mr. & Mrs. Smith," is producing the series. Newcomer Justin Bruening stars as the son of David Hasselhoff's original character, Michael Knight.