Protect the bay! Zac Efron and Dwayne Johnson’s loyal lifeguards hit the high seas in today’s Baywatch photo, and there’s also new information about the pair’s contentious dynamic that will underpin Paramount’s high-profile reboot.
Johnson took to Instagram to share the action shot, confirming rumors that both he and Efron will form a “cinematic team” that share but one common goal: Protect the bay.
Portraying a role similar to David Hasselhoff’s Mitch Buchannon, Johnson headlines Baywatch as the grizzled lifeguard veteran, presiding over his precious stretch of sand with pride. Reluctantly, he sides with Zac Efron’s hotshot maverick to ward off a greedy oil tycoon, who has his/her heart set on transforming the bay to suit corporate interests.
Per Instagram:
The greatest of cinematic teams always start off with conflict – which is why my character can’t stand this prick. And he hates me too. But we share one common goal: Protect the Bay.
In honoring NBC’s original 90s series, there has been chatter that Paramount’s Baywatch would carve out room in its ensemble cast for cameos, with Pamela Anderson being linked with possibly reprising her role as C.J. Parker.
For now, the rumors remain just that, and when you factor in that newcomer Kelly Rohrbach has joined the feature to play C.J., it leaves the studio facing a creative workaround if it really is to shoehorn Anderson in.
As for the confirmed cast, Efron, Johnson and Rohrbach are joined by San Andreas star Alexandra Daddario, Priyanka Chopra, Hannibal Buress and Jon Bass.
With a red swimsuit in one hand and a R rating in the other, expect Paramount’s Baywatch to open in theaters on May 19, 2017.
