Anil Krishna 
Jonathan Millar 
James Oconner 
Baywatch Reboot Trailer Brings Back the Beach Rescues, Slow-Motion Runs, and Plenty of Drama
© Fox
The red swimsuits are back, the beaches are looking sunny as ever, and someone is already in serious trouble out in the water. Yes, Baywatch is returning to television, this time with a reboot from Fox that hopes to bring the long-running franchise to a new generation. The first trailer has all the familiar ingredients, from dangerous rescues to slow-motion beach runs, but there’s also a new family story at the center of it. Stephen Amell stars as Hobie Buchannon, who has grown up from the rebellious kid seen in the original series and is now leading the Baywatch team as its captain.
The trailer, which runs for nearly three minutes, gets straight into the action. An airplane collides with a parasailer, leaving the lifeguards with a pretty serious emergency to deal with. It’s a big, dramatic opening, and the footage that follows makes it clear that the reboot isn’t abandoning the things people associate with Baywatch. There are sun-soaked beaches, daring rescues, athletic lifeguards, and those famously over-the-top slow-motion runs. But Hobie has more than just ocean emergencies to worry about. His life gets turned upside down when Charlie (Jessica Belkin), the daughter he never knew he had, suddenly shows up. She wants to become a lifeguard herself, following a family tradition that Hobie is still trying to live up to.
Fox ordered the 12-episode series in September 2025 for the 2026–2027 television season. Filming began in Los Angeles in spring 2026, following an open casting call earlier in the year, and the reboot is scheduled to make its network debut in January.
Stephen Amell Leads a New Generation of Baywatch Lifeguards
Hobie is at the heart of the new series, and his story gives the reboot a slightly different angle on the familiar Baywatch formula. He was once the rebellious kid in the Buchannon family, but now he’s the one responsible for keeping the team together. That means handling dangerous situations on the beach while also dealing with the complications of his personal life. Charlie’s arrival adds another layer to all of this. She wants to join the lifeguards and follow in her family’s footsteps, but having a daughter he never knew about is hardly something Hobie can figure out overnight.
Amell and Belkin lead a cast that also includes Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, Hassie Harrison, Livvy Dunne, Noah Beck, David Chokachi, and Thaddeus LaGrone. Ashley Moore, Luke Eisner, Nadia Gray, Kylar Miranda, and Charlie McElveen will appear in recurring roles. The trailer also features a guest appearance by Megan Thee Stallion, giving the reboot a little extra star power beyond its main cast.
How the Original Baywatch Became a Global Hit
The original Baywatch first aired in 1989 and went on to become one of television’s most recognizable shows, eventually reaching audiences in more than 200 countries. David Hasselhoff played Mitch Buchannon, the head lifeguard and Hobie’s father, while the series helped turn Pamela Anderson, Yasmine Bleeth, Carmen Electra, and Jason Momoa into familiar names for viewers around the world.
The franchise tried to build on that success in different ways, including the spin-off Baywatch Nights. Then came the 2017 movie starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron, which gave the property a more comedic, big-screen makeover. It brought the name back into the spotlight for a while, but it didn’t lead to a lasting revival. Now, Fox is giving Baywatch another shot on television, where the original made its name in the first place.
The new version seems keen to keep the things that made the show so recognizable without simply repeating the same stories. The rescues and beach action are still there, of course, but Hobie’s relationship with Charlie could give the series something more personal to work with. There’s a family legacy to live up to, and the two characters may not always see eye to eye on what that actually means. If the show can make that relationship feel real while delivering the kind of beachside drama fans expect, it could give the reboot a reason to exist beyond nostalgia.
Matt Nix serves as showrunner and executive producer, with McG directing the first episode and also serving as an executive producer. Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto, and Mike Horowitz are also executive producers. The series is being co-produced by Fox Entertainment and Fremantle.
For now, the trailer is leaning heavily on what made Baywatch famous in the first place, and it isn’t exactly shy about it. But familiar swimsuits and spectacular rescues can only do so much. The real question is whether this new group of lifeguards can hold viewers’ attention once the nostalgia wears off. Hobie and Charlie’s story could be the key, provided the show gives its characters enough room to be more than just the people running toward the next emergency.
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