For over a decade, the Baywatch movie has attempted to escape the sandy beaches of development Hell. Now the adaptation of the long-running, often-in-slow-motion syndicated hit may finally be moving forward.
Paramount is negotiating with director Seth Gordon to bring him on board the Baywatch film. Gordon is best known for directing Horrible Bosses, Identity Thief, Four Christmases, and the acclaimed documentary, The King of Kong: A Fistfull of Quarters. Gordon has also directed episodes of Community, The Office, Modern Family, and The Goldbergs.
The Baywatch TV series premiered on NBC with David Hasselhoff as Mitch Buchannon, a lieutenant lifeguard on the beaches of Los Angeles who led a team of frequently rotating supporting cast members that included Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra, Parker Stevenson, and David Chokachi. NBC canceled Baywatch after a single season, but it was revived in syndication and it ran for an additional 10 seasons as one of the most popular TV shows in the world.
Last year, Dwayne “The Rock†Johnson was tapped to play the leading role in the Baywatch movie. Johnson’s character is said to be “a by-the-book and very serious lifeguard†who will have to team up with “a young rule-flouting hothead in order to save their beach from environmental destruction at the hands of an oil tycoon.â€
The Baywatch movie is reportedly going to be an action comedy with a similar tone to the 21 Jump Street films. There’s currently no word on whether The Hoff will make a cameo appearance or even reprise his role from the TV series. But it’s a pretty safe bet that The Hoff will show up somewhere in the movie! It just wouldn’t be Baywatch without him.
There is no firm date in place for the Baywatch movie to begin production, but an early 2016 shoot seems likely.
Baywatch fans, who would you cast in the movie? And which original series stars do you want to see again on screen? Get caught in the current of love and share your thoughts in the comment section below!
