If there was ever any uncertainty over Baywatch‘s classification, the gleefully over-the-top new trailer has arrived to silence the doubters and effectively prove that, yes, Paramount and Seth Gordon’s franchise reboot is very much rated R for being unashamedly ridiculous.
That’s not the official description, of course, but it is a fairly accurate summary of Baywatch‘s latest and arguably greatest trailer. Rounding up Paramount’s so-called Avengers of the beach in hilarious fashion, the promo begins by introducing our newfound heroes as the crème de la crème – or the elite of the elite, as Dwayne Johnson’s Mitch Buchannon so aptly puts it. Gone are the cheesy montages and camp storylines of the original TV series and in their place, Seth Gordon has adopted a tongue-in-cheek tone that will be familiar to anyone who’s enjoyed 21 Jump Street and its wonderfully self-aware sequel.
The story goes that the Baywatch division is on the verge of closure and, in a last-ditch attempt to restore the once-iconic brand, the Powers That Be draft in Zac Efron’s two-time Olympic medallist, Matt Brody. He’s the cocksure jock to Dwayne Johnson’s wise old veteran, and the chemistry between both stars looks to be electric.
Alongside Alexandra Daddario (Summer), Kelly Rohrbach (C.J.), Ilfenesh Hadera (Stephanie Holden) and Jon Bass (Ronnie), our cadre of heroes undergoes a lifeguard boot camp in order to prove their worth to the Bay. But it’s really the advent of Priyanka Chopra’s big bad, Victoria Leeds, who threatens to throw a spanner in the works. She’s the nefarious oil tycoon ready to tear up Mitch’s prized stretch of sand, and the result is a standoff befitting of a Hollywood blockbuster.
After retreating from its initial May 19th corridor – it’s likely Paramount didn’t fancy its chances against Ridley Scott’s prequel-sequel, Alien: Covenant – Baywatch is expected to jog off the beach and into theaters on May 26th.
