Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell jump into water for Disney’s Splash remake

Last Updated on August 5, 2021

Right now, no one knows making money like Disney knows making money in Hollywood, so when they announce an upcoming project for their slate in the years to come, it's because they see $$$$$$$ all over it. That should explain to you in no uncertain terms their reasoning for remaking the 1984 comedy SPLASH – only this time, it won't be Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah in the starring roles; it'll be Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell. 

In a bit of role reversal, it'll be Tatum this time playing the mermaid merman who comes ashore and subsequently becomes the love interest of Bell's hopeful optimist who was once saved at sea by the aquatic being. The original was one of Ron Howard's earliest directorial efforts, which explains Howard and Imagine partner Brian Grazer's involvement and partnership with Disney on the redo. 

Bell is said to have made the pitch for the new take on SPLASH and The Mouse dug it, hiring Marja-Lewis Ryan to pen the script and move the project quickly into further development. 

SPLASH is hardly what you'd consider a classic, although there are plenty of people who have fond memories of the original, having seen it nearly 30 years ago. It was a star-turning vehicle for both Hanks and Hannah. Tatum certainly doesn't need a similar boost, but this would stand to be another platform for him to showcase his comedic abilities while giving Bell a bigger spotlight in a well-deserved starring spot.