Disney remaking 1984 classic film 'Splash' with Channing Tatum

Disney has announced a reboot for a live-action film in the 80's. The makers of "Cinderella" and "Maleficent" stated that they will remake 1984 romantic comedy film "Splash," which starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah. The reboot will be a gender-swapped version starring "22 Jump Street" co-stars Channing Tatum and Jillian Bell.

In the original version of "Splash," a man from New York finds a mermaid whom he later falls in love with. As it turns out, he and the mermaid first met when he was a child. The mermaid saved him twice when he was out at sea. In the upcoming reboot, the roles and the gender of the two leads will be reversed. The "Magic Mike XXL" star will be portraying a merman, while the "Office Christmas Party" actress will be the New Yorker he saves. According to reports, Jillian was the first to sign up for the lead role and as Channing's love interest.

"Splash" was first released globally on March 9, 1984, and garnered over US$69 million at the box office. It became a crowd favourite and became a huge steppingstone for Tom and Hannah's climb to stardom.

According to New York Daily News, the original director of the fantasy film, Ron Howard, will return as a producer, along with Imagine Entertainment co-founder Brian Grazer. Marja-Lewis Ryan, writer and director of 2016 comedy "Liked," is writing the script.

Deadline reports that there will be more to be unveiled. Walt Disney Studios Motion Picture president Sean Bailey announced the "Splash" reboot on July 29. The rest of the cast are yet to be revealed and the final script remains in progress. As of now, viewers are advised to stay tuned for further announcements from Disney. Fans of the 1984 release may enjoy the upcoming remake.