‘Baywatch’ reboot teases surprise hip-hop star cameo in trailer ahead of January 2027 release
The red swimsuits and slow-motion beach runs are back, but the new ‘Baywatch’ trailer has another surprise waiting among the rescues. Fox released the footage on October 13, giving viewers a look at its reboot ahead of a January 2027 premiere. Alongside the new lifeguard team, the preview slips in a guest appearance from a hip-hop star. There’s also a familiar face from the original series returning to the shoreline.
Megan Thee Stallion appears in the trailer. David Chokachi also returns as Cody Madison, connecting the reboot to the original show. Both appearances share the spotlight with Stephen Amell, who plays a grown-up Hobie Buchannon. The son of David Hasselhoff’s Mitch Buchannon now serves as Baywatch captain, following his father into the family business.
The trailer opens with a plane colliding with a parasail, prompting Hobie and his crew to launch a rescue. Once that emergency is over, he faces something he wasn’t prepared for: the arrival of Charlie Vale, played by Jessica Belkin. She introduces herself as his biological daughter and makes clear that she has come looking for work. Charlie wants to become a lifeguard, bringing another generation of the Buchannon family onto the beach.
Her arrival leaves Hobie trying to navigate fatherhood while overseeing a job that regularly puts his team in danger. In the trailer, he says, “I have been dreaming of having a relationship with my daughter, but I’m worried about her out there.” He adds, “It’s too dangerous.” Charlie’s determination to join the team puts that concern at the center of their developing relationship.
The footage also previews Charlie’s connection with Luke, played by Noah Beck, and chemistry between Shay Mitchell’s Trina and Thaddeus LaGrone’s Brad. Hassie Harrison plays Nat, whom Hobie confides in, while Brooks Nader’s Selene appears during the rescues. Livvy Dunne joins the series in the recurring role of Grace. Chokachi’s Cody, meanwhile, has a place for the lifeguards to gather away from work.
The official logline for his return states: “Cody runs the Shoreline, the unofficially official Baywatch bar-and-grill, and still puts on the red trunks for the occasional shift saving lives. He’s a mentor to and a friend, providing a second home for his fellow lifeguards… and always offering free wings after a big save.” Fox ordered 12 episodes for the reboot’s first season. Matt Nix serves as showrunner, with McG directing the premiere. ‘Baywatch’ arrives on Fox in January 2027.
