‘Splash’ Remake In The Works; Channing Tatum To Play Mermaid Opposite Jillian Bell
It’s surely just a matter of time before Disney gets around to making a live-action remake of its animated classicThe Little Mermaid, but in the meantime they’re diving headfirst into a different project about fish people. Disney’s remake ofSplashhas just caughtChanning TatumandJillian Bell, who previously co-starred in22 Jump Street. But there’s a twist: Tatum will be the one playing the mermaid, and Bell will be the human.
Deadlinebroke the news of theSplashremake Channing Tatum casting. The 1984 original directed byRon Howardcentered on a young man played by Tom Hanks, who falls in love with a mysterious woman played by Daryl Hannah. What he doesn’t know is that she is actually the mermaid who saved him when he was a child. In the remake, Tatum will play the Hannah role and Bell will be in the Hanks role.
Bell reportedly pitched the idea for the new version, andMarja-Lewis Ryanhas been set to write the script. Ryan’s credits includeThe Four-Faced Liar, an indie dramedy directed by Jacob Chase. She last wrote and directedLiked, a comedy produced by Timur Bekmambetov. Howard andBrian Grazer, who worked together on the originalSplash, will produce along with Tatum,Reid Carolin, andPeter Kiernan.
Bell had starred in shows likeEastbound & DownandWorkaholicsbefore getting a big-screen breakthrough with22 Jump Streetstarring Tatum. The pair recently reunited for an episode of Bell’s Comedy Central seriesIdiotsitter, with Tatum making a guest appearance as a dim and dickish football player. Bell was last seen inGoosebumpsandThe Night Before, and will next appear inOffice Christmas PartyandRock That Body.
Tatum was last seen inHail, Caesar!, where he coincidentally played a very different kind of character preparing to set out for sea. His upcoming credits includeKingsman: The Golden Circle, Steven Soderbergh’sLogan Lucky, and theX-MenspinoffGambit. Tatum and Bell are both very funny people who are even funnier together, and a gender-swappedSplashremake sounds like a great showcase for their comedic talents.
