Bringing an end to what was said to be a long and thorough search, Paramount has found the actress to fill the role made famous by Pamela Anderson in its big-screen reboot of Baywatch.
Stepping into the shoes – and red bikini – of C.J. Parker in Seth Gordon’s feature film is model Kelly Rohrbach, and her casting was announced via Dwayne Johnson’s Instagram page, with the two doing a comedic stint on the series’ iconic slow-motion running scenes.
Indeed, it is Johnson that toplines the reimagining as Mitch Buchannon, a role that will spark a friendly rivalry between his experienced veteran and an up-and-coming lifeguard (Zac Efron), though the two must set aside old differences if they’re to thwart the destructive plan mapped out by a power-mongering oil tycoon.
Having already assembled Efron as the wet-behind-his-ears newbie and San Andreas‘ Alexandra Daddario for the role of Summer, Seth Gordon’s Baywatch movie is quickly taking shape ahead of its production start in the early stages of 2016. And while we await the official klaxon signalling that filming is underway, here’s Dwayne Johnson putting Rohrbach’s newcomer through her paces.
Said to be stylized in the vein of Sony’s wildly successful Jump Street series, details are scant on the ground for Paramount’s Baywatch reboot. What we do know is that Damian Shannon and Mark Swift penned the latest version of the script, while Dwayne Johnson is attached to produce via his Seven Bucks banner.
In light of today’s casting, Kelly Rohrbach could be heading for career stardom in the wake of Baywatch, and it’s believed that the studio is aligning its R-rated reboot for a release in early 2017.