Zac Efron and The Rock in a ‘Baywatch’ remake? Count us in
Even if you’ve never watched an episode of Baywatch, you probably know the general premise: Sexy sexy lifeguards running across the beach in slo-mo and saving lives! Red bathing suits all around! Enough sunscreen to fill a pool! But like just about every major ’90s pop culture touchstone, Baywatch is getting a 21st century reboot — starring none other than Zac Efron and Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.
According to The Hollywood Reporter, Efron is in talks to join Johnson for Seth Gordon, who’d previously directed Horrible Bosses. Though the film is still in its early planning stages, with the start of production slated for early 2016, the news is notable for its cross-generational heartthrob casting.
The film’s focus narrows in on the two lead characters, portrayed by Johnson and Efron: “The story centers on a by-the-book and very serious lifeguard (Johnson) who is forced to team up with a young rule-flouting hothead (Efron) in order to save their beach from environmental destruction at the hands of an oil tycoon.” While this isn’t quite the same premise as the original show, which centers on a troupe of lifeguards including David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson (then Pamela Lee), it makes sense to focus on one specific story for a film — and opens the door for plenty of sequels.
We’ll have to wait for a while to see Baywatch on the big screen, but as long as they reference its iconic opening, we’re sure fans will be sated. Until then, we’ll just be browsing for the perfect red swimsuit — hey, there’s still a month of summer left, right?
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