It’s sun’s out, guns out for Stephen Amell, as the Arrow star has been cast in Fox’sBaywatch series reboot as legacy character Hobie Buchannon.
As reported by Deadline, Amell will take on a leading role as the son of the legendary Mitch Buchannon (played by David Hasselhoff in the original 1989 series), with the new series centred around Hobie, now a Baywatch Captain, whose world is turned upside down when his long-lost daughter, Charlie, shows up eager to become a Baywatch lifeguard alongside her dad and carry on his legacy.
The role of Hobie Buchannon was originally played by two actors, the first being Brandon Call, who took on the role for a single season, and was then replaced by Jeremy Jackson for the remainder of the original Baywatch series’ run. Although the new Baywatch series is branded as a reboot, it does feel more like a revival as it focuses on an already established character, albeit portrayed by a brand-new cast.
According to Fox, Baywatch will feature many elements of what made the original series so compelling, including adrenaline-fueled rescues, complicated relationships, and undoubtedly no shortage of slow-motion shots with its cast of characters running across the beach clad in the iconic red swimsuits.
Originally released in 1989, Baywatch ran for 11 seasons and became one of the most-watched television series in the world, cementing itself as a pop cultural phenomenon. The series was led by Hasselhoff and was also responsible for kick-starting the careers of many industry icons like Pamela Anderson and Carmen Electra.
Taking over from Hasselhoff’s legacy, Amell is best known for playing the lead hero in the CW series Arrow, alongside leading the recent NBC series Suits: LA as Ted Black. The actor also starred in and produced the indie sci-fi film Code 8, which was released in two parts and saw him appear alongside his cousin, Robbie Amell.
The Baywatch reboot has received a 12-episode straight-to-series order, with production set to begin in Spring 2026 on Venice Beach and on the Fox Studio Lot in Century City.
Kevin is a reformed PC Master Race gamer with a penchant for franchise “duds” like Darksiders III and Dead Space 3. He has made it his life-long mission to play every single major game release – lest his wallet dies trying.
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