'Elle' actress joins 'Baywatch' reboot with Stephen Amell and the casting just got exciting
There's a new face joining the 'Baywatch' crew, and she wants in on the lifeguard business. 'Elle' star Jessica Belkin is set to join the highly anticipated 'Baywatch' reboot as Charlie Vale. The series will see her as a regular, and she will be introduced as the biological daughter of Baywatch captain Hobie Buchannon (Stephen Amell). Vale's official character description reveals that she was raised in Texas. She leaves her complicated life in Galveston and shows up at her father’s door determined to earn her place as a Baywatch lifeguard. The description reads, "Fearless, passionate, and occasionally reckless, Charlie has all the makings of a Buchannon legend. She has a lot to learn, however, and the father she never met might be exactly the mentor she’s always needed."
The latest update comes on the back of Amell being announced as the lead of the reboot. David Chokachi reprises his role as Cody Madison after being part of the original series from seasons 6 through 9. The upcoming series, including 12 episodes, is slated to premiere during Fox's 2026-27 slate. Filming is set to begin this spring at Los Angeles' iconic Venice Beach. While much about the plot is under wraps, what's known is that Hobie serves as Baywatch captain following in the footsteps of his father, Mitch. Things take a drastic turn when Vale shows up, eager to be the next one carrying the torch for the Buchannons. Elsewhere, Madison runs The Shoreline, the unofficial bar-and-grill, while also donning red trunks for the occasional save.
Matt Nix ('The Gifted') serves as showrunner and executive producer. The roster of executive producers includes McG, Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto, and Mike Horowitz, with McG also directing the series premiere. The hit series first premiered in 1989 with Jeremy Jackson playing Hobie, and went on to become one of the most-watched shows in the world. Starring David Hasselhoff, the show also became the launchpad for the likes of Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Jason Momoa, and Yasmine Bleeth. The success also saw a feature film by the same name starring Dwayne Johnson, Zac Efron, and Alexandra Daddario, along with Priyanka Chopra Jonas, Kelly Rohrbach, Jon Bass, Ilfenesh Hadera, and Yahya Abdul-Mateen II in key roles.
News of the 'Baywatch' reboot was met with mixed reception. Some fans believed the original was a household hit and didn't warrant a reboot. However, it appears that Fox has other ideas as it looks to bring back the iconic classic.
