Channing Tatum is set to star in Disney’s remake of the 1984 romantic comedy Splash that boasts one very enticing catch: this new version will reverse the sexes of the two leads, with the Magic Mike actor embodying the mermaid, played by Daryl Hannah in the original.
Jillian Bell, the comedian who starred alongside Tatum as the villain in 22 Jump Street, will portray the mermaid’s love interest — first played by Tom Hanks — according to Deadline.
The original Splash launched the careers of not only Hanks and Hannah — it also marked Ron Howard’s first major leap to film-making. He’s since gone on to win two Oscars for 2001’s A Beautiful Mind.
Like Howard’s comedy, the remake, written by Maris Lewis-Ryan, will centre on a young child, saved by mermaid, who reunites with the sea creature years later and falls in love — unaware of its identity.
The revisionist approach Disney has taken with the revamp calls to mind the gender-swapping of the lead quartet in Paul Feig’s recent, and hotly contested, Ghosbusters reboot, in which the original male stars were replaced by four female comics.
Tatum recently concluded production on Kingsman: The Golden Circle, the sequel to 2014’s action film, Kingsman: The Secret Service. Bell will next be seen in the ensemble holiday comedy Office Christmas Party, alongside Jennifer Aniston and Ghostbusters breakout star Kate McKinnon.
