tarzan

TARZAN Filming Is Now Underway

Following the previous announcement of actor Alexander Skarsgård for the title role of Tarzan, an official press release was issued last week confirming production. It’s the latest of MANY cinematic renderings of the classic agile hero dating back to the 1930s and it took well over ten years for the film to finally get off the ground following producer Jerry Weintraub’s announcement of the film back in 2003.

My own intuition says this one is going for a PG-13 audience considering the rate at which action movies are getting rated as such these days, much like the sharp turn The Expendables franchise took with its third installation this year, as well as Robocop and many others. Could it work for a new generation of filmgoers? It’s probable. Most people have a lot to say about a movie before they see a trailer and decide if it garners their interest.

At any rate though, this is happening.

Principal photography is underway on Warner Bros. Pictures’ and Village Roadshow Pictures’ new Tarzan 3D action adventure, starring Alexander Skarsgård (HBO’s “True Blood”) as the legendary character created by Edgar Rice Burroughs.

David Yates, who helmed the last four “Harry Potter” blockbusters, including “Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2,” is directing. Jerry Weintraub (“Behind the Candelabra,” the “Ocean’s” trilogy) is producing the film, together with David Barron (the “Harry Potter” films, upcoming “Cinderella”). Susan Ekins, Nikolas Korda, David Yates, Mike Richardson and Bruce Berman are serving as executive producers.

The feature also stars Oscar nominee Samuel L. Jackson (“Pulp Fiction,” the “Captain America” films), Margot Robbie (“The Wolf of Wall Street”), Oscar nominee Djimon Hounsou (“Blood Diamond,” “Gladiator”), Oscar nominee John Hurt (“The Elephant Man,” the “Harry Potter” films), and two-time Academy Award winner Christoph Waltz (“Inglourious Basterds,” “Django Unchained”).

It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan (Skarsgård) left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane (Robbie) at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom (Waltz). But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash.

The adventure is being shot at Warner Bros. Studios, Leavesden, as well as on location around the UK.

Collaborating with Yates behind the scenes, the creative team includes director of photography Henry Braham (“The Golden Compass”), Oscar-winning production designer Stuart Craig (“Dangerous Liaisons,” “The English Patient,” the “Harry Potter” films), editor Mark Day (“Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows, Parts 1 & 2”), and Oscar-nominated costume designer Ruth Myers (“Emma,” “Unknown”).

A Jerry Weintraub production, the Tarzan action adventure is slated for release on July 1, 2016, and will be distributed by Warner Bros. Pictures, a Warner Bros. Entertainment Company, and in select territories by Village Roadshow Pictures.

Warner Bros. Announces The Production Of TARZAN Starring Alexander Skarsgard

Lee B. Golden III

It seems a little too early for another Tarzan film considering actor Kellan Lutz just made his way to the role in the form of a CG-animated adventure from director Reinhard Kloos and Constantine Film Produktion, even though that one hasn’t seen the light of day in the U.S. as of yet with releases in Germany, Singapore and throughout Europe. But that hasn’t stopped Warner Bros from moving forward with its own incarnation of the classic character with actor Alexander Skarsgård, who was also a briefly rumored pick for the character of Eric Draven in Relativity Media’s upcoming reboot of The Crow until it was debunked.

Take it or leave it, the era of remakes and reboots continues. Let’s just hope the creative vines here are strong enough to to keep this one swinging high at the box office upon its premiere. And on that note, here’s the Businesswire Press Release:

Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the Studio has entered into pre-production on a new live-action 3D Tarzan action adventure, bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs’ legendary character back to the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, also announced that the film has been slated to open domestically on July 1, 2016.

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.

In making the announcement, Silverman said, “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 added, “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.”

Fellman stated, “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.”

Jerry Weintraub added, “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.”

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Is Kellan Lutz The Next Action Hero?

Lee B. Golden III

While actor Kellan Lutz is not hugely known for action roles, it seems he does rise to the occasion when called upon. The case seems as such for the latest $70 million dollar production push by Nu Image/Millenium from producers Les Welden and Danny Lerner and writers Sean Hood and Giulio Steve.