Arrow alum Stephen Amell hasn't had the best of luck on TV since bidding farewell to the DC Universe. Heels never got much of a fighting chance despite positive reviews, and Suits LA was cancelled after one season. Now, he's looking to return to the action realm with Fox's Baywatch reboot.
The actor will play Captain Hobie Buchannon, the son of David Hasselhoff’s Mitch Buchannon. A first look at the character is revealed in this new promo (first shared on ActioNewz.com), which also includes model Brooks Nader, influencer Livvy Dunne, and actress Jessica Belkin.
Belkin is playing Hobie's daughter, Charlie Vale, who leaves her complicated home life in Texas and shows up on her father's doorstep in hopes of becoming a Baywatch lifeguard.
Dunne, who makes her professional acting debut in Baywatch, plays junior lifeguard Grace, and Nader is taking on the role of Selene, a Zuma Beach lifeguard described as Hobie's adversary.
Promising the "same beach" with "new blood," the iconic red swimsuits and slow-motion running that helped make the original Baywatch a 90s staple are put front and centre. Amell captioned his Instagram post, "I dream in slow motion."
The 12-episode reboot doesn't premiere until late January 2027, so this is a very early promo for a show that's still the better part of a year away from hitting our screens.
The original Baywatch lasted for 11 seasons between 1991 and 2001, becoming the most-watched show in the world at the time. It aired in more than 200 countries and reached more than a billion viewers weekly. Attempts to resurrect the property as a movie in 2017 with Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron failed.
This version will follow Hobie Buchannon (Stephen Amell), a Baywatch Captain, following in the footsteps of his father, Mitch. But when his daughter, Charlie Vale (Jessica Belkin), shows up on his doorstep, his world is turned upside down.
The cast of Baywatch includes Stephen Amell, Noah Beck, Shay Mitchell, Thaddeus LaGrone, Livvy Dunne, Hassie Harrison, and Brooks Nader. Two cast members from the original series, Erika Eleniak and David Chokachi, return to their roles.
Baywatch is co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle, with Matt Nix (Burn Notice) serving as showrunner and executive producer. McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz also serve as executive producers. McG will also direct the first episode.
Michael Thorn, the President of the Fox broadcast channel, previously said it's "an honour" to bring back the IP, adding, "There's only one Baywatch. It's one of the most iconic, popular television franchises in TV history."
Acknowledging that this new version of Baywatch has "big shoes to fill," he added, "There's a lot of pressure on us to try to make it great, [but] there’s no way you don’t take that shot. [It's] pure escapism with a cast that blends top television talent with major social influencers."
Check out this new look at Baywatch in the Instagram post below.