Over thirty years after Kurt Russell and Goldie Hawn made romantic-comedy history with their work on Overboard, the story is about to get a significant overhaul with Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez in the lead roles of the upcoming remake. The gender-swapped take on the comedy classic is set to hit theaters next month, and according to the folks behind the new film, the changes made to the material actually make it a more logical story than the one that preceded it because we watch a rich jerk become a loving family man. Overboard star Eva Longoria explained in a recent interview:
The role reversal actually makes more sense now. If you think back to the original, you're like, 'Wait, a guy kidnaps a woman [and] makes her work?' This is a little more accepting, because it's the guy. Of course he's going to do hard labor in the house. He should!
In the original Overboard, Kurt Russell's blue-collar Dean finds Goldie Hawn's amnesiac Joanna and puts her to work as his "wife." The new version of Overboard switches things up by making Eugenio Derbez's Leonardo the one who has lived a life of luxury and sees Anna Faris' Kate play the trickster by making him work like he has never worked before. Though the fundamental tentpoles of the story appear intact, Eva Longoria seems to think that this version of the story makes far more sense in a modern context by tracking the arc of a rich and pompous man as he learns the value of work and love.
Building off of that sentiment about Overboard's newfound logic, Anna Faris chimed in and explained how she hopes that the remake will still satisfy fans of the original while also offering up a good story with plenty of heart. Faris continued in the interview with ET and said:
This man who has everything somehow finds reward in having a family and what money can't buy. God, that was good. I didn't even practice that!...I hope it satisfies fans of the original, and I hope that it makes people happy.
Overboard isn't the only reboot/remake to switch things up by swapping the genders of the principal characters. This film comes on the heels of Paul Feig's Ghostbusters, and will seemingly continue with the upcoming gender-swapped remake of Ron Howard's Splash, which will feature Channing Tatum as the merman and Workaholics star Jillian Bell as the human who falls in love with the merman. With Overboard next on deck (pun wholly intended), we will just have to wait and see how audiences respond to this new take on the classic narrative.
The gender-swapped Overboard remake will debut on the big screen on May 4. Make sure to check it out when it hits theaters and keep an eye on CinemaBlend's full movie premiere guide so you can stay in-the-loop on all of the biggest and best movies coming this year!
