Warner Bros. Set a Release Date for ‘Tarzan’ Remake and Announce Cast
Yesterday Warner Bros. set a release date for their now official Tarzan remake. They have announced that the film is to be released on July 1st 2016 and will be in 3D. Cast members have now officially closed deals to appear in the film. High profile actors including Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz will star in the adaptation of Edgar Rice Burrough’s series of 24 novels.
Alexander Skarsgård will star as Tarzan with The Wolf of Wall Street actress Margot Robbie starring as his Jane. There had been rumours circulating last year that tipped Jessica Chastain (Zero Dark Thirty), Henry Cavill (Man of Steel) and Charlie Hunnam (Pacific Rim) as having roles in the film. There are also rumours that the screenplay would be written by Stephen Sommers and Stuart Beattie however the press release from Warner doesn’t mention who is writing the live-action film.
David Yates will be directing the Tarzan remake with Jerry Weintraub producing. At the press conference Weintraub said; “I am so pleased to be reuniting with the team at Warner Bros. on this thrilling project. David Yates and I are going to be using the best of today’s technology in creating this new adventure, and we can’t wait to get started.”
IMDB note that the plot of the Tarzan remake “will center on John Clayton III (Skarsgard), known around the world as the famous “ape man” Tarzan. Years after he’s re-assimilated into London society, he’s asked by Queen Victoria to investigate the goings-on in the Congo. Tarzan teams with an ex-mercenary named George Washington Williams (Jackson) to save the Congo.”
The official press release yesterday was made by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures. President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Dan Fellman was the one to announce that the film’s domestic release date, “This is a perfect entry for the summer movie season corridor, with a terrific combination of action, adventure, romance and suspense that is sure to appeal to a broad audience.”
An illustration from Burrough’s books.
The press release stated “Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s “True Blood”) has been set to star as the man who was orphaned as a baby and raised in the jungle, later to return to the urban jungle of London. The film also stars Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction”); Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), as Jane Porter, who becomes the love of Tarzan’s life; and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”).
David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters, will direct the new feature from a screenplay based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Jerry Weintraub production, the film is being produced by Weintraub (“Behind the Candelabra,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy), together with David Barron and Alan Riche.”
Greg Silverman expressed his excitement about the Tarzan remake; “We have assembled a phenomenal international cast to tell this extraordinary story. Warner Bros. has also enjoyed long and successful collaborations with both David Yates and Jerry Weintraub, and we look forward to seeing what they and the entire team have in store for this timeless tale”
Kroll then stated; “Tarzan has been an enduring and enigmatic figure in literature and cinema for more than a century. The adventures of a man who was torn between two worlds has entertained and intrigued people young and old, and we are excited to bring him to the screen for a new generation.”
