A Baywatch reboot is currently in development at Fox, according to Variety. The original series premiered in 1989, and it eventually became a pop culture landmark thanks to its recognizable visual style, charismatic stars and enjoyable premise that centered around the group of lifeguards who patrolled the beaches of Los Angeles. The new version of Baywatch will feature Laura Olsen, who previously worked on titles such as Spinning Out and Blood & Treasure, serving as the showrunner for the series. No details were given regarding the characters that will be working hard at the beach in the new version of the timeless classic.
The original Baywatch series featured characters such as Mitch Buchannon (David Hasselhoff), Craig Pomeroy (Parker Stevenson), Jill Riley (Shawn Weatherly) and C.J. Parker (Pamela Anderson). For more than a decade, the team was tasked with protecting everyone who wanted to enjoy a fun day at the beach, with the lifeguards finding themselves involved in constant action sequences, romantic scenarios and running across the shoreline in slow motion. Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz and Gregory J. Bonann created the original version of Baywatch, sharing the team’s adventures with the world in a series that ended up having eleven seasons’ worth of stories.
The success of Baywatch eventually led to the creation of Baywatch Nights, a spinoff that at some point turned into a science fiction story while attempting to compete against the The X-Files for ratings. Unfortunately, the new series never reached the heights of the first show, and it was canceled after two seasons, despite the fact that several characters from the main series made appearances in order to connect the two projects. Baywatch was also followed by the premiere of three direct-to-video films: Baywatch the Movie: Forbidden Paradise, Baywatch: White Thunder at Glacier Bay and Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding.
What Will the New ‘Baywatch’ Be About?
While specific details regarding the premise of the new version of Baywatch weren’t disclosed at the moment, an official logline was shared, setting the tone for the action to come: “Daring ocean rescues, pristine beaches, and iconic red bathing suits are back, along with a whole new generation of Baywatch lifeguards, who navigate complicated, messy personal lives in this action-packed reboot that demonstrates there’s the family you’re born into and the family you find”. Before the new Baywatch television series entered development, a film based on the original show starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron premiered in theaters back in 2017, earning $177 million at the global box office.
via Collider