David Yates, director of the last four Harry Potter movies, has committed to making a new version of TARZAN his next project. The film is setup at Warner Bros. and Yates is already looking for his Ape Man. Rumored candidates include Henry Cavill, Alexander Skarsgard, Charlie Hunnam, and Tom Hardy.
Screen Rant reports that the script comes from either Adam Cozad (JACK RYAN) or Craig Brewer (HUSTLE & FLOW) who both wrote versions for the studio. It is also possible that Yates may have worked on a new version since then. Either way, it is too early to tell if this is going to be a “reimagined” Tarzan or just a new version of the classic tale.
The last TARZAN was the Disney version. Prior to that, the biggest studio release was GREYSTOKE featuring Christopher Lambert in the title role. The film has enjoyed varied success over the years, mainly back in the 1940s and 1950s.
Yates is a decent director. I did not feel he brought anything ground-breaking to his Harry Potter direction, but it was not awful either. In recent years, he has been attached to a remake of THE STAND, a DOCTOR WHO movie, and an Al Capone biopic. This could be a big success or a huge JOHN CARTER level flop if Warner Bros. does not do a good job with casting or marketing.