Baywatch is one of those projects that somehow just keeps dangling out of reach of the studio, in this case, Paramount. But the company seems determined to bring the lifeguard story to our screens, and now has Seth Gordon close to a deal to direct Dwayne Johnson in the film.
The show, which became famous for its sun-kissed beaches, attractive lifeguards and The Hoff overseeing it all, has been in the works as a movie for a while, with Paramount looking to take it in an even more overtly comedic direction. The likes of Peter Tolan, Robert Ben Garant (who was also rumoured as a director) and, most recently, Justin Malen, have taken cracks at the script, while Horrible Bosses 2 directors Sean Anders were attached until recently.
It appears Paramount isn’t straying too far from the Bosses team – Gordon directed the first film back in 2011 and has worked on several comedies for both big and small screens. He was until recently on board Sony’s attempt to turn Uncharted into a movie, but left that similarly long-gestating film after the budget was trimmed. Baywatch itself still faces a few issues, not the least of which is the ever-busy Johnson, who has a variety of potential starring roles in the works. So far, it seems like Baywatch the movie is mirroring its TV cast and running in slow motion...