Ron Howard says a studio once told him to make Splash without a mermaid: 'We didn't go with that ...

The 1984 romantic fantasy film famously features Tom Hanks as a man who falls in love with a woman who is secretly a mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah). Ron Howar

The 1984 romantic fantasy film famously features Tom Hanks as a man who falls in love with a woman who is secretly a mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah).

Ron Howard says a studio once told him to make Splash without a mermaid: 'We didn't go with that company'

The 1984 romantic fantasy film famously features Tom Hanks as a man who falls in love with a woman who is secretly a mermaid (played by Daryl Hannah).

By Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff

Lauren Huff is a writer at with over a decade of experience covering all facets of the entertainment industry. After graduating with honors from the University of Texas at Austin (Hook 'em, Horns!), Lauren wrote about film, television, awards season, music, and more for the likes of The Hollywood Reporter, Deadline Hollywood, Us Weekly, Awards Circuit, and others before landing at EW in May 2019.

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August 21, 2025 9:00 a.m. ET

Ron Howard at Cannes Film Festival in May 2024; Daryl Hannah in 1984's 'Splash'. Credit:

Stephane Cardinale - Corbis/Corbis via Getty; Buena Vista Pictures/Courtesy Everett

In Ron Howard's Emmy-nominated guest stint on *The Studio* as a fictionalized version of himself, he receives a note from the film studio that he does not take well.

So, ** had to know, as the acclaimed director of movies such as *A Beautiful Mind* and *Apollo 13*, what is the most unbelievable note he's ever gotten from a studio?

"Oh God," he says with a laugh. "When we were trying to sell *Splash*, [producer] Brian Grazer and I, we were going to every studio, they were all turning us down, and one said, 'Does it really have to be a mermaid?'"

At this, Howard pauses before deadpanning, "We didn't go with that company. We decided, yeah, it really should be a mermaid."

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The 1984 romantic fantasy film stars Tom Hanks, Daryl Hannah, John Candy, and Eugene Levy, and famously follows a young man (Hanks) who falls in love with a mysterious woman who is secretly a mermaid (Hannah). In addition to being a critical and commercial success, the film was also nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, so it's safe to say it all worked out in the end, studio notes notwithstanding.

On *The Studio*, Howard is one of several major real-life Hollywood players who play a fictional version of themselves in the Apple TV+ show. The list also includes Martin Scorsese, Charlize Theron, Dave Franco, Zoë Kravitz, Olivia Wilde, and many more.

The Emmy nomination marks the first time that Howard, who started his career as an actor before transitioning to directing and producing, has been nominated for his acting chops specifically. He told PEOPLE that he was "getting a kick out of it," and joked that maybe he "should be talking to the acting department at CAA … maybe I should be talking to the acting branch."

Seth Rogen and Ron Howard on the set of 'The Studio'.

"I play an a--hole version of myself," Howard also told the outlet of the role. "Apparently, it went over. I have many noms and even some wins on the producing and directing side, but first nom as an actor, which is kind of funny."

Technically, Howard has won three of his previous 13 Emmy nods. He won Outstanding Documentary or Nonfiction Special for *Jim Henson Idea Man* in 2024, Outstanding Comedy Series for *Arrested Development* in 2004, and Outstanding Miniseries for *From the Earth to the Moon* in 1998.

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******Next up for Howard is the release of *Eden*. Based on a true story, the thriller follows a group of outsiders who settle on a remote island in the Galápagos Islands only to discover their greatest threat isn't the brutal climate or deadly wildlife, but each other. It stars Jude Law, Ana de Armas, Vanessa Kirby, Sydney Sweeney, Daniel Brühl, Felix Kammerer, Toby Wallace, and Richard Roxburgh.

*Eden* hits theaters Friday.

Original Article on Source

Source: "AOL Movies"

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