rewrite this title ‘Baywatch’ Reboot To Film In Los Angeles After Fox Secures $21.1M California Tax Credit

Baywatch is returning to its roots. Fox‘s upcoming reboot will film in the Los Angeles area — with the historic Venice Lifeguard Operations Station as a main backdrop — after the series scored a $21.1 million (40%) tax credit from the California Film Commission.

Staying in L.A. was always the intention for the project, which in September received a 12-episode straight-to-series order from the broadcast network for a premiere during the 2026-27 season.

The original series was set and shot on the beaches of Los Angeles — primarily Will Rogers State Beach in Pacific Palisades, with additional filming in Venice Beach and Malibu — for the first nine seasons before moving to Hawaii for the last two.

It’s been 25 years since Baywatch‘s 11th and final season aired, and the new iteration of the lifeguard action drama, which comes from Burn Notice creator Matt Nix, Fremantle and Fox Entertainment, features new characters and a new cast. Still, the reboot is classified by the CFC as Season 12 of Baywatch, making this a production relocation to Los Angeles, something the commission values highly.

In addition to L.A. beach locations, the new Baywatch will film on soundstages on the Fox Studio Lot in L.A.’s Century City.

The reboot will feature the type of daring rescues, tangled relationships and beachside heroics that defined the original — now with a new cast donning the show’s signature red swimsuits, contemporary trappings, tensions and challenges, and a renewed mission to protect Southern California’s shoreline.

While the reboot keeping the original’s L.A. setting was never in doubt, its filming location was very much up in the air. Landing a tax credit was considered crucial to keeping the show in California, with Fox also going down the road with Australia as an alternative location if the tax break did not go through.

The network’s efforts to secure an incentive included Fox Entertainment CEO Rob Wade traveling to Sacramento to meet with CFC representatives and politicians. They were successful, with Baywatch awarded an enhanced 40% tax credit after an unified push by local officials.

“It’s been incredibly rewarding to work alongside our partners at the California Film Commission to create an economically sustainable path for keeping a production like Baywatch – so spectacularly tied to this great city and state – right here in Los Angeles,” Wade said. “We’re especially grateful for the tremendous support from the many public officials, including Governor Gavin Newsom, who championed this effort, State Senator Ben Allen, State Assemblymember Rick Zbur, L.A. City Councilwoman Traci Park and L.A. County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath. This collaboration between government and entertainment truly shows what’s possible when we work together to support local jobs and economic growth, while showcasing the stunning California coast for audiences around the world.”

Underscoring the significance of keeping Baywatch in L.A., Mayor Karen Bass later today will join Horvath and Park for a press conference at the Venice Beach Lifeguard Operations Station to tout the hundreds of union jobs for cast and crew the series will generate along with the substantial economic activity to Venice’s small businesses, local vendors, and hospitality sector it is expected to bring.

“This is exactly what we envisioned when we strengthened the program — keeping our creative economy strong and our entertainment industry competitive,” Zbur said. “I appreciate Fox Entertainment’s commitment to investing in California’s workforce and keeping production where it belongs.”

Following its 1989 debut and a swift cancellation by NBC after one season, Baywatch became a syndicated global juggernaut, airing in over 200 countries, and at its peak, reaching more than 1 billion viewers every week. The original series starred David Hasselhoff and helped launch the careers of Pamela Anderson, Carmen Electra, Jason Momoa and Yasmine Bleeth.

The reboot is executive produced by Michael Berk, Greg Bonann, Dante Di Loreto, Doug Schwartz and Nix.