Splash, Ocean’s Eight and the female-led 21 Jump Street spinoff are just some of the many gender-swapped properties incubating in various stages of development, and Variety brings word today of another: Overboard.
First released in 1987, Garry Marshall’s romcom originally starred Goldie Hawn, Kurt Russell, and Edward Herrmann, and though the idea of a modern-day remake has been floated before – at a time when Jennifer Lopez and Kathrine Heigl were in contention to star – Overboard has finally locked down its two principal actors: Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez. The latter is on board to play one of Mexico’s wealthiest playboys, who takes a tumble from his extravagant boat only to fall into the lap of Anna Faris’ single, working-class mother. Following a literal fall from grace, Derbez’s forgetful lead is under the impression that he is, in fact, the husband of Faris’ character. Cue the romantic shenanigans.
Per Variety, we understand Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher will leverage writing and directing duties between them, and in light of today’s two-fold casting coup, MGM boss Jonathan Glickman stated:
“The original Overboard was beloved and the only way to bring it back is to reinvent the story in a whole new way. Anna and Eugenio are two of the most charismatic forces in comedy whose take on the material will modernize the story for a whole new generation of moviegoers.”
Filming on Overboard will commence in Vancouver this May ahead of an expected release in 2018. We’ll be bringing you all the latest on Rob Greenberg and Bob Fisher’s redo as more information comes to light, but for now, tell us, what’s your knee-jerk reaction to their gender-swapped vision? Indeed, do you believe Hollywood’s hot new trend is an interesting avenue to explore? Do let us know.
