Fox Drops Baywatch Trailer: "The Bay Just Got a Whole Lot Hotter"
The reboot premieres on Fox in January 2027 with a cast built from social media stardom. Livvy Dunne, Noah Beck, and Brooks Nader join Stephen Amell, and fans are already calling it a gimmick. The original Baywatch heard the same thing about Pamela Anderson.
Warp Me to the Next Section ↓
Fox dropped the first full Baywatch trailer on October 13, 2026, and the network's own promotional post captured the pitch: "The bay just got a whole lot HOTTER." ... Whether that heat becomes ratings depends on a cast that has far more social media followers than acting credits, and whether the formula that made Pamela Anderson a global icon can work a second time.
The show premieres January 2027 on Fox, 12 episodes, written by Matt Nix, who created Burn Notice, and directed by McG. Fox says the reboot will "celebrate the franchise's enduring legacy, while re-energizing it for today's global audience."
Amell Leads, Dunne Gets the Red Suit
Stephen Amell plays Hobie Buchannon, the son of David Hasselhoff's original Mitch and the new Baywatch captain. Jessica Belkin plays Charlie Vale, the daughter Hobie never knew, who joins the lifeguard crew and drives the central tension of the season. The trailer opens with a parasailer rescue and closes with Hassie Harrison, as Nat, telling the crew they have the best job in the world. Amell agrees.
Livvy Dunne, the LSU gymnastics standout who retired from competition in April 2025, plays Grace, described as a "zealous, full-of-life junior lifeguard." It is her first acting role. When Fox announced the casting in March 2026, Dunne posted one line on X: "Time to get to work!!!" The rest of the new cast: TikTok creator Noah Beck, Sports Illustrated Swimsuit model Brooks Nader, "Pretty Little Liars" veteran Shay Mitchell, Thaddeus LaGrone, and David Chokachi, returning from the original series as Cody.
The Original Was Not a Drama School Either
The most common fan reaction when the casting first dropped: no acting ability. It is not an unfair read of the resumes. But it is an ahistorical one. The original Baywatch premiered in 1989, became the most-watched show in the world, and reached over a billion weekly viewers at its 1990s peak. It launched Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Jason Momoa, and Yasmine Bleeth. None of them joined the cast on the strength of their theater credits.
TMZ reported in May 2026 that "who is the next Pam Anderson" conversations were already circulating among producers, with both Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne generating that talk. Both are featured prominently in the October trailer.
The Actual Bet Fox Is Making
Fox is making a calculated gamble that looks reckless from the outside. Livvy Dunne is one of the most-followed college athletes in American history. Her audience is exactly the demographic a network TV revival needs to reach. The question is not whether she can deliver Chekhov. The original Baywatch never asked that of anyone in the cast. The question is whether Matt Nix's scripts and McG's direction can give a cast of social media stars enough genuine stakes that viewers come back after the iconic beach jog in episode one.
When filming photos first surfaced, critics called it "influencer casting, not acting" and described the project as "a JOKE" with an "awful cast." Brooks Nader hit back directly: "the times are different, and everyone is so multi-hyphenate now." She argued that social media gives the cast a footprint no 1990s Baywatch actor had on opening night. Shay Mitchell, who has actual dramatic credits and is also in the show, responded to Dunne's casting announcement with "Here we goooooo!!!" That sums up the energy of the reboot better than any character breakdown.
Baywatch premieres on Fox in January 2027. If the new cast's combined following shows up on opening night, Fox will look like the smartest room in the building. If it does not, the "no acting ability" crowd will have been right, and the beach will be very quiet.
Sources & further reading
- ClutchPoints: Livvy Dunne, Brooks Nader Baywatch Reboot Trailer (Oct 13, 2026)
- BroBible: First Official Baywatch Trailer with Livvy Dunne (Oct 13, 2026)
- TMZ: Brooks Nader and Livvy Dunne in Baywatch Reboot Teaser (May 24, 2026)
- Fox News: Brooks Nader Hits Back at Backlash Over Baywatch Casting (Mar 27, 2026)
- SheKnows: Baywatch Reboot Cast, Premiere Date, Trailer, Fox (2026)
