Over the course of the last few years, Groundlings alumnus Jillian Bell has emerged as one of the most consistently funny actresses in Hollywood. Turning in a series of remarkable supporting performances in a wide variety of comedies like Fist Fight and Office Christmas Party, she will soon set her sights on leading lady status -- replacing Tom Hanks as the romantic lead in the gender-swapped remake of Ron Howard's 1984 comedy classic Splash. This gig will see her star alongside Hollywood heartthrob Channing Tatum (who will inherit the fishtail from Daryl Hannah), and it does not sound like Bell is too excited about the prospect. The Rough Night actress joked:
It's going to be very difficult. I don't know how I'm going to pretend to be in love with him. I've called a lot of acting coaches and I'm going to start prepping. Yeah I'm going to call Meryl Streep and see what she would do in this situation. I don't really know how to act like I'm in love with a man that's that hideous. We'll figure it out on the day as they say in the industry.
Jillian Bell is obviously laying the sarcasm on thick with these comments, but it cuts to the core of what has us so fundamentally excited about the Splash remake. Bell and Channing Tatum have worked together several times over the last few years (on 22 Jump Street, as well as Comedy Central's Idiotsitter), and they have established a tried and true rapport wth one another that will undoubtedly serve the Splash reboot well. They know how to play off of one another, and that will allow them to share top billing beautifully. Besides, it's Channing Tatum as a merman. How could you not be excited about that?
Despite Jillian Bell and Channing Tatum's shared tradition of delving into R-rated comedies, it does not sound like Splash will follow that same formula. Seemingly taking it as a personal and professional challenge, Bell's recent comments to Uproxx make it seem like these two comedy powerhouses will make a left turn and commit themselves to keeping the laughs firmly in the realm of clean, family-friendly PG humor. Remember, this is Disney we're talking about; I don't think the weed smoking, expletive-spewing version of Ms. Bell will fly in this particular project. We are sure that they are both up to the task, but it will prove incredibly interesting to see what they will do with more restrictions regarding what they can say or do on-camera.
CinemaBlend will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming remake of Splash as more information becomes available. For now, you can catch Jillian Bell alongside Scarlett Johansson in Rough Night, which opens in theaters today. If you are on the lookout for more of 2017's biggest theatrical release dates, check out our movie premiere guide and get your moviegoing calendar filled out accordingly!
