Tom Hanks has no qualms about a planned remake of “Splash,” the 1984 romantic comedy where he fell head over heels ― er, fins ― in love with a mysterious woman (Daryl Hannah) who turned out to be a mermaid.
In August, Disney announced plans for a “Splash” reboot, albeit with a gender-swapping twist, starring Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell, Variety reported. The original film’s director, Ron Howard, has expressed interest in helming the new version, in which Tatum would play a merman who rescues a relationship-challenged New Yorker (Bell) from drowning.
Hanks, 60, told the Associated Press that he’s “all in favor” of a new interpretation of the film. If the Oscar-winning star has his way, however, the remake would go an extra step by giving it a same-sex spin.
“Look, I think if they were really going to be bold, I would come back as Allen Bauer, and I would go off with Channing Tatum,” he told the AP’s Ryan Peason Wednesday. “That would be a bold movie. And I am suggesting it right now.”
Howard, who also directed Hanks in “Inferno,” teased the Tatum/Bell “Splash” as “a bit of an experiment” and “a lot of fun,” the AP reported.
With this summer’s “Ghostbusters” reboot and an all-female take on “Ocean’s Eleven” forthcoming, gender-swapping on the big screen is a hot commodity right now. So Hanks’s idea could be the perfect way for the new “Splash” to stand out from the crowd.
Hollywood, take note!