A female villain could be introduced in Paramount Pictures‘ upcoming “Baywatch” reboot.
Both Variety and The Hollywood Reporter are reporting that “Quantico” breakout star Priyanka Chopra is in early talks to join the cast of the upcoming “Baywatch” movie.
Chopra is the former winner of the Miss World pageant and one of Bollywood’s highest-paid actresses. She is also one of the most popular and high-profile celebrities in India.
She made her acting debut in 2002 in a Tamil film titled “Thamizhan” and Bollywood debut in 2003’s “The Hero”. She then began to appear in many other motion pictures, as well as a TV programme and a documentary.
In 2015, she began starring in the lead role of Alex Parrish in “Quantico”, an American thriller series created by Joshua Safran. She made history by becoming the first South Asian woman to headline an American network series.
With the rising demand for diversity in Hollywood movies, Paramount is eyeing Chopra for a role.
According to THR, the actress would play a villain in it. However, scheduling conflicts with “Quantico” and the film’s shoot “still need to be worked out”.
So far, it’s only been confirmed that “San Andreas” actress Alexandra Daddario will play Summer, a lifeguard and the love interest of Zac Efron‘s character. Model-turned-actress Kelly Rohrbach also recently signed on to play a character named C.J. Parker.
Both Summer and C.J Parker appeared in the original “Baywatch” TV series and they were respectively portrayed by Nicole Eggert and Pamela Anderson.
The original “Baywatch” TV series premiered on NBC from 1989 to 1999. It starred David Hasselhoff (the one and only), Parker Stevenson, Shawn Weatherly, Billy Warlock, Erika Eleniak, Peter Phelps, Brandon Call, and Holly Gagnier.
Although it was cancelled after its first season, it survived a setting change and large cast overhaul and became hugely successful – especially internationally.
The American action drama show also led to a spin-off, “Baywatch Nights”, and a reunion movie, “Baywatch: Hawaiian Wedding”.
Plot details about the reboot remain scarce, but sources close to the project said that Paramount is taking a comedic route with the movie.
The reboot will also have little to do with the original show as it will centre on a by-the-book and very serious lifeguard (played by Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson) who is forced to team up with a young rule-flouting hothead (played by Zac Efron) in order to save their beach from environmental destruction at the hands of an oil tycoon.
While it’s not verified, parts were reportedly being written for both Anderson and Hasselhoff to reprise their respective roles.
Best known for his work on “Horrible Bosses” and “Identity Thief”, Seth Gordon is directing this reboot based on a script written by Mark Swift and Damian Shannon.
Johnson will produce it with his partner Dany Garcia through their Seven Bucks Productions banner. Beau Flynn and Ivan Reitman will also serve as producers alongside Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz, and Greg Bonann.
Filming will begin in February 2016 as the movie is slated for release sometime in 2017.
