Channing Tatum to play a merman in gender-swapped Splash remake
Tatum is reprising Daryl Hannah's role in the 1984 classic
Disney is rebooting Ron Howard’s 1984 rom-com Splash with quite the catch: the lead roles will be gender-swapped, with Channing Tatum starring as an enchanting merman.
In the original, a pre-fame Tom Hanks falls head-over-fins for Daryl Hannah, who saves him from drowning. But he has no idea that when his love touches water, her legs become a giant, shimmering mermaid tale.
Splash launched Hanks’ and Hannah’s careers, and also helped establish Howard as a filmmaker. Combined, the three have gone on to win four Academy Awards.
The remake, written by Maris Lewis-Ryan, follows the same plot of the original comedy – a child saved by a mermaid falls in love after reuniting years later – unaware that something fishy is afoot.
Tatum is set to star alongside comedian Jillian Bell, who will play the human love interest. The two appeared together in 2014’s 22 Jump Street.
The Magic Mike star won’t be as graceful on land, but he’s sure to win our hearts swimming through the sea.
