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Paramount Pictures has been developing a Baywatch feature film for awhile. They most recently expressed interest in casting Justin Timberlake for the lead role in the film, which actually kind of makes sense. The actor would play a disgraced former Olympic swimmer who tries out for the Baywatch crew.
Thanks to Vulture we've now learned that there's a director attached to the project, Reno 911! co-creator and star Robert Ben Garant.
The latest draft of the script was written by Rescue Me co-creator Peter Tolan and is said to have characters for both David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson to take if they so wish, but they will not be playing the characters that they did on the original Baywatch. Tolan previously revealed that the script he wrote is more like the 1980's Billy Murray comedy, Stripes. So it makes sense for the studio to bring in a comedy director to take on the project.
Ben Garant is currently in post-production on the comedy Hell Baby, which he co-directed and co-wrote with his old Reno 911! co-creator and co-star, Thomas Lennon. That movie centers on an expectant couple, played by Lennon and Leslie Bibb, whose new home is haunted by a demonic baby.
I've only seen a handful of episodes of Reno 911!, but it's on my list of things to watch. I think the only way to do a Baywatch movie is to make it a comedy, so its good to see that's what they're doing. I think a Baywatch film would be hard to take seriously at this point.
What do you think about Ben Garant taking on the project?
