Is a “Ghost” remake starring Channing Tatum on the way? Potentially. As part of a new Vanity Fair cover story, Tatum revealed that his production company, Free Association, has the rights to the 1990 romantic fantasy classic and he’s trying to develop a remake.
“We actually have the rights,” Tatum said. “Yeah, we have the rights to ‘Ghost.’”
Vanity Fair goes on to report: “He tells [us] about how his production company, Free Association, is trying to pull together a remake of ‘Ghost,’ with him potentially playing the Patrick Swayze role.”
“But we’re going to do something different,” Tatum added, noting the 1990 original contains problematic stereotypes. “I think it needs to change a little bit and have our…”
Variety has reached out to Tatum’s representatives for further comment.
“Ghost,” directed Jerry Zucker, starred Patrick Swayze as a murdered banker whose ghost sets out to save his girlfriend (Demi Moore) from his enemies. Swayze’s character gets an assist from a psychic named Oda Mae Brown, played by Whoopi Goldberg in a performance that won her the Oscar for best supporting actress. Overall, “Ghost” earned five Oscar nominations, including best picture, and also won the prize for original screenplay. The film grossed $505 million worldwide, becoming the biggest film of 1990 and, at the time, the third highest-grossing film in history.
A “Ghost” remake would not be the first time Tatum has attached himself to rebooting a classic comedy. The actor was set to star opposite Jillian Bell in a gender-flipped remake of the mermaid comedy “Splash,” although the project has yet to make it past the development stage.
Tatum next stars in “Magic Mike’s Last Dance,” in theaters Feb. 10 from Warner Bros.