Channing Tatum to star as a merman in the Splash remake

Channing Tatum is set to star in a remake of Splash.

The Magic Mike XXL star will take on the mermaid (technically, now merman?) role made famous by Daryl Hannah in the 1984 original, while his 22 Jump Street co-star Jillian Bell will play the part first portrayed by Tom Hanks in Disney's upcoming twist on the tale,The Hollywood Reporter has revealed.

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Imagine's Ron Howard and Brian Grazer will produce, alongside Channing, Reid Carolin and Peter Kieran via his Free Association banner. Anna Culp will executive produce and Marja-Lewis Ryan will pen the script for the production.

The 1984 movie starred Hanks as a man who was saved from drowning as a child by a mermaid. 20 years later, the mermaid returned to find him and gave him the option of continuing his life as it is, or living under the sea with her.

Channing - who has three-year-old daughter Everly with wife Jenna Dewan-Tatum - will next be seen in Kingsman: The Golden Circle and recently revealed his will direct a 'Magic Mike Live' show in Las Vegas alongside choreographers Alison Faulk and Teresa Espinosa.

He said: "What I'm getting at is we're going to start Magic Mike Live in Las Vegas at The Hard Rock, March 2017.

"God knows, we have enough gentleman's clubs in this country so let's start the first gentleladies club. Or maybe not so gentle. Depends what you're into. So please leave your comments and let us know what you want. We're going to create it for you."

The live show will start in March 2017 at The Hard Rock Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada and Channing is looking forward to the prospect of possibly returning to the stage himself.

He said: "Casting, directing, we're gonna do it all. If I'm ever in shape enough to do it [perform] again, I absolutely want to do that. Actually, it would be really fun ...

"For so many years now, I think male revues have told women what they should think is sexy, and when you really look at it, it's kind of misogynistic a little bit. Like [male dances are] all dominant doctors and lawyers and fireman and construction workers and all women's archetypes are like nurses and maids and subservient things, and we just want to turn all that up on its ear and talk about it and just start a conversation between women and men."

You tell 'em, Chan!

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Story by Bang Showbiz, edited by Yahoo7 Be staff