Fox's 'Baywatch' Reboot Trailer Promises Stunts and a Buchannon Dynasty

By Tom Whitfield

Fox has released a three-minute trailer for its "Baywatch" reboot, with the series set to premiere on the network in January. The clip opens with Stephen Amell leading a rescue mission after a plane collides with a parasail — the kind of set piece that says plainly what the show intends to sell: big stunts and slow-motion running on the beach.

Amell plays a grown-up Hobie Buchannon, the wild child from the original 1990s series, now a Baywatch Captain following in the footsteps of his father, Mitch. The plot turns on the surprise arrival of Charlie (Jessica Belkin), the daughter Hobie never knew. Charlie, eager to carry on the family legacy, strives to become a Baywatch lifeguard alongside her dad.

The network committed to the project early. Fox picked up the reboot for the 2026-2027 broadcast season back in September 2025 with a 12-episode order. The production held an open casting call in early 2026 and began shooting in Los Angeles in the spring.

Who is in the cast?

The trailer confirms a large ensemble. Shay Mitchell, Brooks Nader, Hassie Harrison, Livivy Dunne's fellow castmate Livvy Dunne, Noah Beck, David Chokachi and Thaddeus LaGrone star alongside Amell and Belkin. Ashley Moore, Luke Eisner, Nadia Gray, Kylar Miranda and Charlie McElveen appear in recurring roles. The trailer also shows hip-hop star Megan Thee Stallion in an appearance.

David Chokachi's presence is worth noting: he is an alumnus of the original series. Whether the reboot leans further into legacy casting, the trailer does not say.

What does the reboot change for the franchise?

The original "Baywatch" debuted in 1989 and, at its peak, was the most-watched show in the world, airing in over 200 countries. David Hasselhoff starred as head lifeguard Mitch Buchannon, and the series launched the acting careers of Pamela Anderson, Jason Momoa, Yasmine Bleeth and Carmen Electra.

The brand's track record since is mixed. The show spawned the spinoff "Baywatch Nights." In 2017, a feature-film reboot starring Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron failed. That film's collapse is the obvious caveat hanging over this revival: global name recognition did not save it then, and Fox is betting that serial television — the format where the property originally worked — will.

Showrunner Matt Nix executive produces alongside McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz. McG also directed the premiere episode. Fox Entertainment and Fremantle co-produce.

The January premiere will show whether a 12-episode order and a familiar name can turn a 2017 film failure into a 2027 television franchise — or whether slow-motion running is all the property has left.