VENICE, LOS ANGELES (CNS) — Amid concerns tied to an expanded filming footprint, Los Angeles County leaders Friday moved to stabilize production of the “Baywatch” reboot in Venice Beach.
Los Angeles County Supervisor Lindsey Horvath convened a meeting at Fox Studios with city officials, production leaders and agency representatives Friday to address the hurdles, including limits on staging, parking and production hours.
The meeting follows a March 29 post on the Crew Stories Facebook page citing an anonymous crew member who said government restrictions had forced the production out of Venice Beach, according to Variety.
“Despite the rumors, Baywatch’ was never leaving Venice or Los Angeles,” Los Angeles City Councilwoman Traci Park said. “The city, county and production team are deeply committed to the success of this marquee effort. We are excited to meet the needs of their expanded footprint in Venice and all along the coast.”
The 12-episode “Baywatch” reboot has been positioned as a key example of efforts to bring production back to Los Angeles, receiving a $21 million tax credit from the California Film Commission last fall.
Filming is scheduled to continue through July 16, with additional shoots planned at other beaches across the Los Angeles area.
“Bringing Baywatch’ back to Los Angeles is not just important — it’s essential to sustaining our local economy and reinforcing our position as the global capital of the entertainment industry,” Horvath said in a statement. “While challenges are inherent to any production, what defines success is how quickly and effectively we address them.”
Horvath said the meeting resulted in progress on updating the Coastal Development Permit, improving coordination among agencies and identifying additional steps to support the production in Venice and along Los Angeles County beaches. She added that the effort will also help improve future productions and reflects a shared commitment to the show’s success.
Officials said production will remain based in Venice Beach, with additional Los Angeles County beaches included in the filming schedule as planned.
Key outcomes from the meeting included a request by the production company, Fremantle, to amend its Coastal Development Permit to allow more flexible production hours, with revisions expected to be considered by the California Coastal Commission next month.
Officials also cited expanded and more flexible use of parking areas to accommodate production needs, along with the creation of a dedicated on-site liaison to streamline communication between the production team, FilmLA and county agencies.
Horvath is expected to introduce a motion at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting to allow limited drone filming within designated times and locations.
“We’re incredibly grateful to everyone involved in bringing this production to life and for the ongoing collaboration,” said Jhamal K. Robinson, head of production for Fremantle. “Filming continues on Venice Beach and at other locations across Los Angeles County.”
Participants in the meeting included representatives from Fox, Fremantle, FilmLA, the Los Angeles County Department of Beaches and Harbors, the Los Angeles County Film Office and county lifeguards.
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