Romance expert, stand-up comic, and favorite-non-sexy-cannibal Hannibal Hannibal Buress will reportedly be bringing his laid-back comedy stylings to the upcoming Baywatch movie. Audiences hoping to see Buress poured into a tight red Speedo are probably out of luck, though; he’s in talks to play “one of the locals in the bay community,” presumably lobbing droll asides at stars Dwayne Johnson and Zac Efron as they go galloping tautly past.
Baywatch—currently set for a May 2017 release—has been in development for years now, veering in tone between tongue-in-cheek parody and a more serious, action-heavy take on the cheesy ’90s flesh parade. Buress’ casting, not to mention the recruitment of Horrible Bosses and Identity Thief director Seth Gordon to helm the picture, suggests that comedy might once again be ascendant for the sun-worshiping people of the bay; the darker, more serious plot lines will presumably be saved for the certain-to-follow sequel adaptation devoted to Baywatch Nights.