OVERBOARD (2018) Production Notes

The much-loved original Overboard, starring Goldie Hawn as a spoiled heiress and Kurt Russell, as a working class carpenter, hired to work on her yacht, was released in 1987.

ABOUT THE MAKING OF "OVERBOARD"

After writing, producing, directing and starring in the box-office smash, Instructions Not Included in 2012, the highest-grossing Spanish-language film of all time, Derbez created Los Angeles based production company 3Pas Studios with Ben Odell former President of Production of Pantelion Films. They wanted to create a brand that audiences would associate with quality, warmth and humor.

Eugenio's follow up feature, How To Be A Latin Lover, produced by 3Pas, made nearly $60 million worldwide as it continues its run in the U.S. and Latin America. With 26 million followers online, Derbez has become one of the most influential Hispanic voices in the marketplace.

The much-loved original Overboard, starring Goldie Hawn as a spoiled heiress and Kurt Russell, as a working class carpenter, hired to work on her yacht, was released in 1987. MGM had been looking for a way to reimagine it for some time. Executives approached Derbez and Odell, believing they'd come up with a fresh take on the story.

"We loved Overboard," says Derbez. "That's why we decided to make this film, but it's a different world now. We wanted to make a film that everyone would enjoy, whether they'd seen the original or not."

"First of all, we thought we should flip the roles, to get away from any comparisons," says Odell. "Who would want to step into Goldie Hawn's shoes, when she did it so spectacularly? Once we flipped the story, we found there were a lot of advantages.

All of a sudden you have an ultra-wealthy Mexican, which is immediately breaking stereotypes. In Hollywood, it's typical to see the Mexican playing the cook, the gardener, the immigrant. You also have a man going into a woman's world and taking on a domestic role by running the house. That's a very contemporary situation.

We also wanted to set the film in a diverse community, so we had Mexican characters at all economic levels. We get to explore the gamut of what 'Latino' is in a very organic way."

The script was written by comedy writers, Rob Greenberg (How I Met Your Mother) and Bob Fisher (The Wedding Crashers). When Greenberg and Fisher heard they wanted to flip the roles, they saw the potential and jumped on board.

Greenberg and Fisher didn't know Derbez's work, but they soon discovered he was comedic gold. "We watched a bunch of his un-translated stuff on YouTube," they say. "We had no idea what he was talking about, and we were still cracking up. He's a brilliant physical comedian, which is rare. He's empathetic, real, with a lot of emotional depth, while still being hilarious.

This movie has a big and in some ways ridiculous premise and to make it work, it has to be grounded. If we believe these are real people, in real situations, with real problems, we'll relate to them and root for them. We were inspired by romantic-comedies like Tootsie, Big and Groundhog Day, which are all funny and emotionally rich films, with big bold conceits, but the narratives are rooted in the real world.

By switching things and playing around with gender, race, class and the mix of languages, we were able to make it feel contemporary and reflective of the world we live in right now." When it came to choosing a director, Greenberg and Fisher were so prepared, they were hard to beat. So, after a lifetime of creating comedy, Rob found himself directing his first Hollywood movie!

Overboard went into production in the Vancouver area, in Canada's Pacific North West, during the late spring and early summer of 2017. The picturesque fishing village of Steveston and the original capital of British Columbia, Fort Langley,served as the fictional town of Elk Cove, Oregon. Scenes of the yacht "at sea" were filmed in the Georgia Straight, while scenes on the yacht docked, were filmed in the harbor at Steveston.

In preparing to play Leonardo, Derbez contemplated how to make his character sympathetic. "When I was watching the original movie," he says, "one of the things I really loved about watching Goldie Hawn's performance, even though the character was mean and a terrible human being, was that she was charming. I needed to find a way to do the same thing. Even though Leo is a jerk and he's always mistreating people, I wanted him to be charming, loveable in a way."

"It's very difficult not to love Eugenio," says producing partner, Odell. "No matter the character, he has a childlike innocence that shines through. I think the time has come to show the world who Eugenio is."

All agreed that Anna Faris was the perfect counterpart for Derbez. Overboard marks her return to the big screen after several years in television. She currently stars in the CBS hit comedy Mom, opposite Allison Janney, now in its fifth season.

"We love Anna Faris," say Greenberg and Fisher. "She's one of America's best comedy actresses. She has a star quality but there's something very self-effacing about her. She has a vulnerability, a quirkiness, a real humanity, an inner life. She has immaculate comic timing. She and Goldie are really similar in a lot of ways." says Odell.

"The second Anna and I met, we clicked," says Derbez. "There's nothing better than when you have chemistry with your co-star. Anna was exactly as I imagined. She's funny, full of energy. She's always making jokes. She's an amazing human being. It's very easy to work with her. She's always feeding you funny stuff. Sometimes, I wasn't reacting I was watching her and being amused by her. I'm so happy Anna was with us and besides, she looks like Goldie Hawn!" Kate's three daughters, played by Hannah Nordberg, Alyvia Alyn Lind and Payton Lepinski, got together early in the process. "They have a chemistry that's real," says Odell. "It's beautiful to see."

Overboard gives Derbez the opportunity to introduce fellow Mexican actors to an American audience. "Eugenio is our cinematic trailblazer," says Jesus Ochoa. "I'm so proud of what he is doing in the United States." "If I can be a bridge for all this great talent we have in Mexico, I'm really happy," says Derbez. "They are equal to any Hollywood actors," says Odell. "Fernando Lujan, who plays Papi, is one of Mexico's most legendary comic actors."

"I would like Latinos to come out of the movie feeling proud," says Odell. "We're making the film with a Latino sensibility. I want them to feel part of the mainstream and I'd like the mainstream to feel the diversity in our conversation is exciting."

"While we were filming, some people were speaking entirely in Spanish, others entirely in English," says Rodriguez. "It's been great to come together, not just as actors, but as human beings. You need to see this film. It represents America today."

Overboard was released in the U.S. by Metro Goldwyn Mayer Pictures and Pantelion Films on May 4, 2018.