The Baywatch movie has been in the works since July 2009, when Jeremy Garelick signed on to write and direct. A slew of writers have worked on the project between now and then, including Brian Gatewood & Alessandro Tanaka, Peter Tolan and Justin Malen.
Advertisement
According to Variety, Gordon is “in negotiations” although the headline states that he will direct Johnson.
Gordon had been attached to Sony’s “Uncharted” but recently left the project.
The biggest challenge has been finding the right story and tone.
Paramount and producers Beau Flynn and Ivan Reitman have faith in the film’s most recent script, which was penned by the rebooted Friday The 13th scribes Damian Shannon and Mark Swift. The film will put a comedic spin on the television series that focused on the day-to-day lives of Lifeguards patrolling the beaches of Los Angeles, California. The director found a way to thread the tonal needle with the original frightful Bosses and his acclaimed documentary, King of Kong.
Gordon’s hit black comedies like “Horrible Bosses” and “Identity Theft” have made him a popular director at the studios amid moviegoers’ craving for R-rated comedies. On paper, the idea of a Baywatch movie sounds ridiculous, but all the film really needs to accomplish to be taken seriously and successful is to follow the 21 Jump Street formula.
Advertisement
Johnson will play a serious, by-the-book lifeguard who (and I’m sure you can all guess where this is going, just based on that description) is forced to join forces with a young rebellious hothead in order to keep their beach from getting destroyed by an oil tycoon. Johnson’s longtime producing partners Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia are also on board to produce. No release date has been announced.
