The Baywatch movie has already found its new C.J. Parker and Summer Quinn, and now it’s looking to add another bombshell to the mix. However, this one is not your typical caucasian blondie.
Variety reports that Priyanka Chopra is in talks for an unspecified role in the film, though chances are it will involve a lot of bathing suits and slo-motion running. The Indian actress has had a string of roles but recently snagged the mainstream spotlight through her leading role on the hit ABC series Quantico. If her movie deal goes through, she’ll play opposite the oh-so-chiseled Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron in a 21 Jump Street-esque comedy spin on the 90s TV series.
Johnson, who’s said to play a by-the-book lifeguard named Mitch, has been announcing the film’s casting picks on social media. He recently revealed fashion model Kelly Rohrbach in the role made famous by Pamela Anderson on the long-running TV series, and he previously announced his San Andreas co-star Alexandra Daddario as Summer, originally played by Nicole Eggert. Efron, meanwhile, will play a young hothead who has to team up with Mitch in order to stop an oil tycoon from destroying their beloved beach.
During the TCA winter press tour, ABC Entertainment Group president Paul Lee said he thinks Quantico has a long life ahead of it and it’s thanks in part to Chopra, whom he calls the “quintessential ABC star.” Back in August, the actress, who won the Miss World pageant in 2000, said she always wanted to be a part of the American television revolution, saying now “feels like the golden phase of TV.” Now she’ll join the golden phase of nostalgic movie reboots and TV-to-film adaptations.
Baywatch, which Johnson teased has a hard R rating, is directed by Seth Gordon (Horrible Bosses), and Damian Shannon and Mark Swift wrote the latest draft of the script.
