'Baywatch' Trailer: Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron Hit the Beach

Nick Schager
·Writer


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson seems to be the star that can jumpstart just about any franchise, and that skill will be put to the test next summer, when he headlines a big-screen reboot of Baywatch, the cheesy lifeguard TV show that originally starred David Hasselhoff and Pamela Anderson (both of whom will cameo). When it hits theaters, Johnson’s movie version will look to inject a bit of R-rated humor and over-the-top action into its source material’s familiar template (i.e., hunky shirtless guys and buxom women, all running, jumping, and diving in slow-motion). The film’s debut trailer (watch it above) doesn’t disappoint on that front — especially if you like seeing Johnson’s biceps and Zac Efron’s chiseled abs.

Related: ‘Baywatch’ Photo Album: All the Instagram Updates From the Beach

Johnson himself premiered the new promo on Twitter, with a message likening his cast of beach-patrolling do-gooders to Marvel’s own superheroic squad, the Avengers:

While the trailer doesn’t really call to mind Iron Man, Captain America, or Thor’s prior outings, it is heavy on adult-oriented one-liners involving women’s chests and Johnson and Efron’s crotches, accompanied by a healthy dose of gigantic explosions and sexy blondes in tight red bathing suits showing off their considerable assets. Throw in a little bit of 21 Jump Street-style self-consciousness (with regard to rejuvenating the Baywatch “brand”), and you have a nostalgia-infused potential action-comedy hit that operates as yet another larger-than-life vehicle for “Sexiest Man Alive” Johnson.

Related: Dwayne Johnson Has an Insane Number of Movies in the Works: Here’s a Rundown

Co-starring Priyanka Chopra, Alexandra Daddario, Kelly Rohrback, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Jon Bass, Baywatch is now set to open on Memorial Day 2017 (May 26).

This ‘Baywatch’ Reboot Will Give You Nostalgia Overload: