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'Reno 911!' Star Robert Ben Garant to Direct 'Baywatch' Adaptation

by Ben Pearson
September 21, 2012
Source: Vulture

Well, here's one we didn't see coming. Paramount has had plans to adapt the terrible/ridiculous 90s TV series "Baywatch" into a movie ever since 2009 (confirmed again in 2010), but we thought enough time had passed that interest may have waned and the project fell apart. But now Vulture reports that not only is the movie going forward, but Paramount has hired "Reno 911!" co-creator/star and Night at the Museum writer Robert Ben Garant to direct it. Peter Tolan (creator of FX's "Rescue Me") wrote the script, and they're planning a more comedic take on the adventures of Malibu lifeguards than the serious show gave us.

Tolan's vision for the story is being likened to the classic 1981 Bill Murray movie Stripes, which makes sense considering that film's director, Ivan Reitman, is also going to be producing this new run at Baywatch. It's interesting that Paramount would hire just Garant and not Thomas Lennon, his writing partner who he's collaborated with on everything from "Reno" to Night at the Museum to co-directing Hell Baby starring Leslie Bibb. Either way, Garant's presence actually makes me care just a little bit about a project which I'd otherwise completely ignore, so we'll see what he does behind the camera. No word quite yet on whether or not David Hasselhoff or Pamela Anderson will show up in cameo roles, but I'd bet good money we'll see them on screen here in some capacity. A good choice?

Filed under Development, Movie News

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