Disney planning ‘Splash’ remake with Channing Tatum as a merman
LOS ANGELES — Disney is in early discussions with Brian Grazer and Ron Howard’s Imagine Entertainment about rebooting “Splash,” one of the production banner’s early classics. Channing Tatum and Bishop Gorman graduate Jillian Bell are attached to star.
The original film followed a young man (played by Tom Hanks) who is reunited with a mermaid (Daryl Hannah) who saves him from drowning as a boy. He falls in love with her, not knowing who/what she is.
In this version, Tatum will actually play the merman who saves Bell as a girl only to reunite with her years later.
The original movie marked the first major hit for Grazer and Howard, and essentially led to the launch of their Imagine Entertainment. Grazer and Howard will return to produce this re-imagining along with Free Association’s Tatum, Reid Carolin and Peter Kieran. Imagine’s Anna Culp will be executive producer.
Maria Lewis-Ryan is writing the script.
Tatum just finished production on “Kingsman: The Golden Circle” and is about to start filming on “Logan Lucky.”
Bell can be seen next in DreamWorks’ “Office Christmas Party.”
The news was first reported by Deadline Hollywood.
