Universal Acquires Merman

Universal and Imagine Entertainment have acquired a script for Merman, a romantic comedy that will have a Merman who comes to dry land.

Coming Soon says:

The story follows a merman who comes to land so he can win back his mermaid fiancee, who has left him for a real man. The story was hatched by the screenwriter and Jeff Moskowitz.

My first instinct when I read this is that it would be a fabulous sequel to Splash! For those of you who are not closing in on 40, Splash was a Tom Hanks movie with Darryl Hannah. Darryl was a mermaid who falls in love with a man. What if there was a followup story where she was engaged in her underwater world?

Funny thing is that this movie, while written by Jennifer Abu Hollander will be produced by Brian Grazer. The producer for Splash!

However the two stories do not appear to be connected.

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29 thoughts on “Universal Acquires Merman

  1. I hope the project will see the light of day as I love the genre. As far as I am concerned there isn’t enough done on this subject. There is a lot of mithology around now, on the big screen, a lot of fantasy so there is obviously desire for it. Why would the world under the sea be any less interesting? Avatar, Wolfman, Percy Jackson, Clash of the titans…all of them lining up in the cinemas now… A merman story can be just as captivating as long as you like fantasy. I do and I am looking forward to seeing it.

  2. I for one am THRILLED to hear about this project and can’t wait to see it.

    While I realize it could be a bust if done poorly, I am really rooting for cinematic awesomeness and have a feeling it will be the second.

    It just sounds like such a cute film and I love the whole merman/mermaid genre.

    Mermen are a high underrated and over passed story subject. I think for some reason (mostly) guys have issues with them or they freak them out or something. I mean, look at the above comments alone O.O And yet, a lot of guys have NO issues with mermaids. Idk, that’s something all you man peoples will have to look into…

    I for one am stoked and will be looking for frequent updates!

  3. Its gotta be a chick flick right? Man, this sounds whack! Splash worked because it was a Mermaid, but a fucking Merman?? Now if its done by the Apatow crew, imagine all the fun they could have with a R Rated version and the jokes about mermen peni and how they go number 2 in the ocean. But at a chick flick romantic comedy, this will literally suck a black hole out of the universe, or is that into the universe? But I guess studios are coming to the realization that chick flicks can make money at relatively low budgets. Rodney, your excitement for this project is bit curious, not unless you’re really into chick flicks, not that theres anything wrong with that, just saying.

    1. Are you kidding me? They get some sort of buff venice beach rat with a dashing smile to come and face off against some land lubber jerk…

      Women would eat that up.

      But not all romantic comedies are chick flicks.

      Just sayin.

  4. Is this for real??i only ask because one of the gags in funny people is one of Adam Sandlers characters films is called “merman” and is played as a gag on these types of terrible sounding high concept comedies.

    Are we sure this is real?? It will have already have been mocked in a high profile film.

    1. uummm not the point i was getting at…… at all.

      the point is a major release film will have already made a gag in which you are meant to laugh at how fucking lame and stupid the idea of a merman film is. the gag in funny people is making fun of these types of ideas. the joke is ‘look at the fucking terrible comedies this guy has made’

      its almost sandler making fun of some of his own work….

      thats why i find it weird to actually make the film.

    1. Jeff, I am wondering how this snippet of a concept seems to rank such insecure labels and rage from you.

      You know nothing about this movie aside from a half line synopsis, but you are ready to lead the troops against it?

      How about we wait to see what shapes up with the movie before we jump to conclusions about its sexual orientation or yours.

    2. Thanks Dude!

      @Rodney – the concept just seems utterly stupid and draws absolutely zero interest from me. The “half line synopsis” was more than enough to convince me of the super uber gayness of this movie.

      The best way to sum up my feelings on this movie is in the song Mermaider by the legendary Dethklok. Its about mermaid murder because mermaids and mermen are gay and lame.

      [Long unrelated music lyrics and link removed]

      Sorry if you disagree and want to see stories about Mermaidmen, but we do not share the same opinion on this one.

    3. Sorry Jeff, but choosing not to see a movie because it doesn’t appeal to you is a LOT different than trying to add a negative association to a lifestyle you fear.

      You can choose not to be interested, but that hardly justifies calling it “gay”

    4. Rarely do people “fear” homosexuality, rather they disapprove of it. It’s a clever assault though, and a good way to change the subject. In this society if anyone says something anti-homosexuality the first thing out of people’s mouths is that he must be homophobic. At least from what I’ve seen.

      I have to say I thought The Dude’s comment was a complete and intentional joke, so it was rather funny to see Jeff so enthusiastic about it. I think it’s a good premise that if handled correctly could be awesome. What planet are you from, Jeff? Merpeople are awesome. Their intriguing to us because the sea is a very mysterious place of which we know little.

      It’s kind of embarrassing, but I actually believe in mermaids. And I know what scientists have said in the past: the exact same thing they said about frogs hibernating in rocks, and that is that an “average layperson” observed this and could therefore be wrong. Well, sailors are not average laypersons. They know what manatees look like, for gosh’s sake, and can spot them faster than most other people. And John Adams wasn’t a mere “layperson”: and he saw a mermaid. He described it in detail in his diary. So did Columbus, if I remember correctly. I’m not saying I know the answers, but I do find it fascinating.

      I actually want to write a movie about mermaids myself someday, though it would be about battles between medieval aquatic creatures who are driven onto dry land and are struggling to survive in their new habitat.

  5. Either it’s just me, or this thing has “FAIL” branded all over it. Personally, the plot of this sounds completely stupid and I feel that the critics will tear this thing to shreds.

    However, I may be wrong and it ends up being a hit. Until then, I’m not going to hold my breath anytime soon.

    1. You sure about that? I always regarded Splash as one of his worst movies. It pails in comparison to the Burbs and The Money Pit. This movie might work, it’s a different take on a familiar formula.

    2. Oh yeah, you’re right, it’s totally a ripoff: after all, there’s mermaids in it!

      Jokes aside, this is a totally different scenario from Splash:

      A young merman comes onto dry land and sheds his scales to take on human form. What’s he doing? Coming to retrieve his young, beautiful girl that left him for the human world. On land, he’s totally out of his element.

      He probably eventually finds the girl he’s looking for and is trying to convince her to come back with him to the open sea, but the human world is just as much a fairytale to her as the life of a mermaid is to us.

      I find it very intriguing, besides the fact that the concept of mermaids precedes Splash! Hello? Any of this ringing a bell? Also, I never heard anyone bring up The Little Mermaid, which actually bears more resemblances.

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