Fans of the addictive, soapy and fun 90s “drama” series Baywatch are no doubt curious to see how much of the show’s DNA makes it into the upcoming feature film adaptation, and while we’ve got a pretty good idea of just how wildly different the movie will be, some things never change. Case in point: star Dwayne Johnson just revealed a new set photo of himself as David Hasselhoff’s character Mitch Buchannon alongside the film’s iteration of Pamela Anderson’s iconic C.J. Parker, portrayed by Kelly Rohrbach. While Johnson and Rohrbach offer significantly different portrayals of these characters, the red bathing suits and striking good looks are intact, and I can’t believe I’m saying this but I kind of can’t wait to see this movie.

Horrible Bosses helmer Seth Gordon directs this R-rated comedic take on Baywatch, with the film aiming to hit a 21 Jump Street tone as Johnson and Zac Efron play a pair of mismatched lifeguards who must team up in order to save the beach from environmental disaster at the hands of a greedy oil tycoon. What’s neat about the Baywatch movie is that while the story and tone are wildly different, Johnson (who is also producing the film) and Gordon opted to maintain the iconic characters from the series. Thus far we have:


  • san-andreas-dwayne-johnson-carla-gugino
    Image via Warner Bros.
    Dwayne Johnson as Mitch Buchannon, played by David Hasselhoff in the show
  • Zac Efron as Matt Brody, played by David Charvet in the show
  • Ilfenesh Hadera as Stephanie Holden, played by Alexandra Paul in the show
  • Kelly Rohrbach as C.J. Parker, played by Pamela Anderson in the show
  • Alexandra Daddario as Summer Quinn, played by Nicole Eggert in the show
  • Priyanka Chopra as villain Victoria Leeds

Not only is this cast impossibly good-looking, it’s also delightfully diverse in what could easily have been a white supermodel-filled cast. Again, it’s kind of crazy to think that a Baywatch movie is one of my most anticipated films currently in the works, but what can I say, this sounds and looks pretty terrific.

Take a look at Johnson’s set photo below. Baywatch hits theaters on May 19, 2017.