Dwayne Johnson’s pulling power is most definitely not in question. As soon as his involvement in a floundering franchise is announced, it’s as if he gives them a new lease of life. It’s not hard to see why he’s like audience catnip for series like Fast & Furious and G.I. Joe. He’s an immensely amiable guy, who’s real-life positivity spills over into his characters. The Rock’s got charisma, and Hollywood wants in. Now, we’ve learned from THR where we’ll fall in love with him next – on the beach. Paramount are moving forward on the long-awaited big screen version of Baywatch with Johnson now attached to star.
The good news (aw come on, this is GREAT news) doesn’t end there. The comedic writing duo behind We’re The Millers, Sean Anders and John Morris, are also “loosely attached” to direct. If their involvement becomes official, it will be their second directorial effort following the upcoming sequel, Horrible Bosses 2.
The idea of Johnson headlining the Baywatch flick screams blockbuster fun. And what’s wrong with that? After establishing himself as a jack of all trades, Johnson’s likeable nature twinned with his capacity for comedy and action make him… well, the best man for the job in my opinion. With Anders and Morris at the helm, it’s sounding like a spoofy re-take of the 80s show.
The feature film adaptation has been in the works at Paramount for some time now. Early versions of the script were tackled by a variety of writers, including Jeremy Garelick (The Break-Up, The Wedding Ringer) and Peter Tolan (Guess Who, Analyze This), none of whom managed to pinpoint the tone Paramount were aiming for. The studio have now enlisted Justin Malen to begin work on a rewrite.
Malen’s becoming a hot property for comedies, after penning Bad Teacher 2 and winning a spot on the coveted Blacklist for his script, Bastards. The latter is currently being developed, and heading for a starting date in 2015 with Jason Sudeikis and Ed Helms set to star.
Tell us, what are your thoughts on Dwayne Johnson toplining the new Baywatch feature? Isn’t it RAD?
