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Brooks Nader Goes ‘Baywatch Red’ at Cannes as Fox’s Reboot Makes a Splash at MIPCOM

ByHrvoje Milakovic Published on
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Few television images are as instantly recognizable as the red swimsuit of ‘Baywatch‘. It defined an era of beach-set escapism, and more than 2 decades after the original series ended, Fox is betting audiences are ready to run toward the water once again. This week, the reboot took its first big international bow on the French Riviera.

Brooks Nader, the 29-year-old model and actress who stars in the new series, attended Fox’s photo call for ‘Baywatch’ at MIPCOM in Cannes on October 12. The event, held at the Palais des Festivals, was designed to introduce the show to international buyers. Nader leaned into the theme with a look that was hard to miss.

She wore a vivid, fitted red maxi dress with a banded design, V-neckline and cap sleeves, paired with black heels, sparkly studs and long blonde waves. Fashion outlets quickly dubbed it ‘Baywatch red’, and photos of her posing against the blue MIPCOM backdrop with the marina behind her spread widely. Co-star Stephen Amell joined her at the photo call in a white blazer over black.

The Cannes appearance came as the series started to line up deals abroad. Italy’s public broadcaster Rai acquired ‘Baywatch’ for Rai 2, which Deadline reported on the opening day of MIPCOM. Sky has picked it up for the UK and Ireland, and Stan will carry it in Australia.

Fox Entertainment Global holds domestic distribution rights, while Fremantle, a co-producer, is handling international sales. Showrunner Matt Nix, Amell, Nader and executives were all in Cannes to promote the show, though cast member Noah Beck was unable to make the trip. Landing so many deals before launch suggests strong confidence in the brand.

The reboot is now aiming for a late January 2027 debut on Fox, after earlier hopes of a fall 2026 start. Fox first announced the series in September 2025, held a massive open casting call in February that drew 2,000 hopefuls, and began shooting at Venice Beach in the iconic red swimsuits. Nix is the showrunner, with McG directing the premiere episode.

Nix, McG and Michael Berk are among the executive producers, along with Greg Bonann, Doug Schwartz, Dante Di Loreto and Mike Horowitz. The show is a co-production between Fox and Fremantle. It is positioned as more of a sequel than a remake of the franchise that began in 1989 and ran for 11 seasons through 2001.

Nader stars as Selene, the sharp-tongued captain of the Zuma Beach lifeguards. According to her character synopsis, she is excellent at her job but has a very different approach to saving lives than Amell’s Hobie Buchannon, a constant source of friction. Their relationship worsens after Hobie brings his daughter onto the team, and their rivalry runs deeper than lifeguarding.

Amell plays Hobie, the son of original lead Mitch Buchannon, who is now a Baywatch captain. His world is upended when Charlie Vale, played by Jessica Belkin, shows up as the daughter he never knew. Reports say that while the two leads clash on screen, they appeared friendly off screen during the Cannes trip.

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Hassie Harrison plays Nat, Shay Mitchell plays Trina, a former lawyer who left a top-tier firm to lifeguard full time, and Thaddeus LaGrone plays Brad. Beck plays rookie lifeguard Luke, and social media star Livvy Dunne makes her acting debut as Grace. On the legacy side, David Chokachi returns as Cody Madison, now the owner of a bar and grill called The Shoreline, and Mary McDonnell is set to appear in a recurring role as Hobie’s mother.

The cast reflects a mix of television veterans, newcomers and social media personalities. It is the kind of ensemble designed for broad network appeal, which is the same formula that made the original a worldwide hit, airing in more than 200 countries.

Nader, who stars in Hulu and Freeform’s ‘Love Thy Nader’ and competed on season 33 of ‘Dancing with the Stars’, appeared on the cover of the 2023 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit issue in a red one-piece reminiscent of the ‘Baywatch’ look. When she joined the cast, she announced it with a photo of herself holding the script and a caption saying she had been keeping a secret. The Cannes photo call, in that sense, was a full-circle moment.

Whether the reboot can recapture the original’s sunny spirit remains to be seen. But as the first international push suggests, the franchise’s red-and-yellow branding still carries real pull.

How excited are you for the new 'Baywatch' series?

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