Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez to Star in Overboard Remake

Garry Marshall's 1987 movie starred Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell in the lead roles

By Zach Johnson Mar 06, 2017 6:40 PMTags
Anna Faris, Eugenio DerbezGetty Images

Ready for a role reversal?

Anna Faris and Eugenio Derbez have been cast in Overboard, MGM's remake of the late director Garry Marshall's 1987 comedy starring Goldie Hawn and Kurt Russell. The movie is being re-imagined to focus on a spoiled playboy (Derbez), who hails from one of Mexico's wealthiest families. After falling off a yacht—just as Hawn's mean and spoiled character did in the original film—he gets amnesia, and a single mom (Faris) convinces him that they're married.

Bob Fisher and Rob Greenberg co-wrote and are co-directing the comedy.

Production is schedule to begin in May in Vancouver; a release date has not been set.

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Movie Remakes

In a statement Monday, MGM Motion Picture Group President Jonathan Glickman said, "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."

This will be the first leading role in a film since 2013 for Faris, who has starred on CBS' hit comedy Mom since 2013. Derbez, meanwhile, is a massive star in the Latin America market.

Jennifer Lopez was once attached to star in the remake. Hawn talked about the idea in 2012, telling Stylist, "There are so many remakes today I often wonder why they're not thinking of new ideas. One thing I would say is that the film is relatively iconic; they still show it on TV. I mean, I can't believe how often they show that movie! So, I guess when they remake it they should have a different slant and different people. That's the challenge. Good luck to them."

Though some had hoped to see Hawn and Russell's daughter Kate Hudson in the remake, the actress was uninterested. As she told Seth Meyers in 2014, "My mom plays such iconic roles that I couldn't really see anybody...being able to embody or encompass what it is that she is."

Hudson shared her favorite lines from the film while recording a podcast for Entertainment Weekly in 2015. Choosing one of Russell's lines, she said, "He goes, 'Oh, c'mon, Annie. Just take a guess.' And she looks at him. It's so funny! Or when she's in the back of the truck and she's [gobsmacked]. One of my favorite ad-libs when she looks at the guy and she goes, 'Eat your checkers.' My mom is so wonderful and talented. My mom is this added effervescence. What she is and what she eliminates, it's a gift. She has something that makes people happy."