A movie based on the long-running series Baywatch has been in development for years now, the most recent update coming last September when Rescue Me creator Peter Tolan said that he had completed a draft of a screenplay that he had turned into Paramount Pictures for development. Now, over a year later, it looks as though the studio is finally ready to actually do something with it.
Vulture has learned from insiders close to the project that Robert Ben Garant has been hired to direct the comedy adaptation of Baywatch. Thomas Lennon's long-time co-writer, Garant is best known as one of the creators of the Comedy Central series Reno 911!, but also has plenty of directing experience, having helmed Reno 911!: Miami, the 2007 film Balls of Fury, and most recently the exorcism comedy Hell Baby (which is due out next year). He also directed a number of Reno 911! episodes as well as the web series 3Way with Maeve Quinlan.
The site says that the script written by Tolan, which is said to be "more akin to Stripes than the self-serious syndicated series," is still in play, but whether or not it will stay that way is unknown. Garant is better known as a writer than a director, having a hand in scripting not only all of the titles mentioned above, but also movies like Night At The Museum, The Pacifier and Herbie Fully Loaded.
The project is actually being produced by Ivan Reitman, and it's unknown when the project will go into production.
