Seth Gordon To Direct Dwayne Johnson in BAYWATCH Movie

Paramount has been trying to get a Baywatch film made for over ten years, and there's been a revolving door of talent attached to the project as they've searched for the right fit. Now THR reports that the studio is in negotiations with King of Kong and Horrible Bosses director Seth Gordon to tackle the adaptation.

Dwayne Johnson will star in the movie, which is said to be trying to achieve the tone of 21 Jump Street, "which took a beloved show, turned it into an action comedy, and skewered it with a fondness to make it an acclaimed hit franchise." I don't know if Baywatch was ever actually "beloved" by anyone other than Borat, but I can easily imagine Johnson as a "by-the-book and very serious lifeguard who is forced to team up with a young rule-flouting hothead in order to save their beach from environmental destruction at the hands of an oil tycoon."

Despite the presence of the charismatic Johnson, I'm dubious about this movie. Gordon has more hits than misses on his filmography (he's done some great TV work, though), and barring, well, Lord and Miller themselves, I'm not certain anyone is going to be able to crack the tone of this adaptation. Production is supposed to get underway early next year, so I guess we'll find out soon enough how this all plays out.