Channing Tatum Buys Rights to Ghost, Plans to Star in Remake
Channing Tatum has acquired the right to the 1990 romance classic Ghost, and hopes to produce and star in a remake of the film, which originally starred Patrick Swayze. The new came out during an interview with Vanity Fair, during which he was a bit distracted because (as in Ghost), he was actually doing pottery. Whether accidental or intentional, the pottery kept him from finishing too many thoughts about the remake, which will be undertaken by Tatum's production company Free Association. The original film starred Swayze alongside Whoopi Goldberg and Demi Moore, with future Scandal star Tony Goldwyn in a supporting role.
The original Ghost has been criticized for including some racial stereotypes that most audiences didn't think about in 1990, but which would likely not fly now. Tatum is aware of that, and hopes to make some changes to keep the core of the movie's appeal intact without turning away potential viewers.
"Now I know why they put [pottery-making] in Ghost," Tatum told the magazine. "This whole process is very, very sexual."
He confirmed that he will play a take on Swayze's character, but said, "we're going to do something different. I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…" but that was the last of the Ghost talk after the pottery took over his interest.
Ghost was directed by Jerry Zucker, and centers on a murdered banker (Swayze) whose ghost is determined to stay on Earth and save his girlfriend (Demi Moore) from the enemies who had him killed Goldberg played a psychich named Oda Mae Brown, a role for which she won an Oscar for best supporting actress. The film was a massive critical and commercial success, earning more than $500 million and give Oscar nominations. At the time, it was the third-highest grossing film in history. Adjusted for inflation, that would be over $1 billion, still making it one of the biggest movies ever that didn't have an existing IP or a major franchise attached to it.
It is not clear whether there is a script for the new Ghost yet, or a studio involved (Paramount held the rights before Tatum apparently acquired them). Tatum was previously attached to a remake of the fantasy-romance Splash, which originally starred Tom Hanks and Daryl Hannah, but that movie has never gotten off the ground.
Tatum's next appearance will be in the threequel Magic Mike's Last Dance, which is scheduled to hit theaters on February 10.