The Legend of Tarzan (2016)

The Legend of Tarzan is a 2016 adventure film directed by David Yates. Based on the character Tarzan created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the film stars Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, and Christoph Waltz. The story follows John Clayton (Tarzan), who, after moving to London, is convinced by George Washington Williams to return to his former home in the jungles of Africa, to investigate claims of slavery. Principal photography began on June 21, 2014 at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom and wrapped four months later. The film premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1, 2016 in 2D, 3D, and IMAX, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It grossed $356.7 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million and received mixed reviews from critics.

Plot.

At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, the Congo Basin is claimed by King Leopold II of the Belgians. Five years later, Leopold has accrued massive debts in exploiting the resources of the Congo Free State, and sends his envoy Léon Rom to secure the fabled diamonds of Opar. Rom’s expedition is massacred by warriors led by Chief Mbonga, who offers Rom diamonds in exchange for Tarzan. The man once called “Tarzan”, The Rt Hon. John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke, has left Africa for his ancestral estate in Britain with his American wife, Jane, and embraced life as a wealthy nobleman. The British Prime Minister offers Lord Greystoke an invitation from Leopold to visit Boma.

When he arrives back to at Greystoke Manor, a flashback reveals the deaths of John’s parents after their shipwreck in Africa, and his adoption by the great apes called the Mangani. In Greystoke country house, Jane is telling visiting children a story. After a fight with Jane that evening, John has a flashback to when he was 5 years old playing in the treehouse with his ape foster mother, Kala and foster brother, Akut, and then is chased by Alpha Male Kerchak. John, Jane, and George journey to the Congo, circumventing Rom and his corrupt financier Mr. Frum, and are welcomed by the Kuba village of John and Jane’s youth. Jane tells George of John’s life with the Mangani, and how she first met him. Rom and his men capture the villagers, killing Chief Muviro,

and taking Wasimbu along with other able young men to serve as porters. George rescues John, but Jane and the captive villagers are taken aboard Rom’s steamship. Rom reveals to Jane that he arranged John’s invitation from Leopold to deliver him to Mbonga. Pursuing the steamship, John, George, and the village’s remaining warriors seize a train carrying Belgian soldiers and enslaved Congolese. An engineer informs them of Rom’s plan to take over the Congo, sanctioned by Leopold: using slave labor, Rom has built forts across the region, linked by railway and river travel, for an army of 20,000 mercenaries soon to arrive. With Leopold bankrupt, Rom needs the diamonds of Opar to pay for the army.

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Development.

An updated version of Tarzan had been in the works since at least 2003, with John August writing. followed by John Collee in 2006 with Guillermo del Toro slated to direct. Del Toro dropped out to work on “The Hobbit” better source needed] and by 2008, it was reported that a different version of “Tarzan”, co-written by Stephen Sommers and Stuart Beatle, that was said to resemble the Pirates of the Caribbean series, was in development. By 2011, Craig Brewer, who also rewrote a version of the script, was set to direct the film, although this did not come to pass. Instead, David Yates was chosen to direct in 2012. Other directors in the running included Susanna White and Gary Ross. In April 2013, it was reported that the production was temporarily suspended due to budgetary concerns.

Casting.

For a while, producer Jerry Weintraub wanted swimmer Michael Phelps to play the title role, feeling that he was the heir apparent to Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who had famously played Tarzan, and who was also a prominent competitive swimmer. Weintraub reportedly changed his mind after watching Phelps host Saturday Night Live, for only two minutes. Other early contenders for the role included Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and Charlie Hunnam. On November 14, 2012, Alexander Skarsgård was cast in the title role, the choice of director Yates, while Samuel L. Jackson was being eyed to play Williams in the film. Yates found Skarsgård to be the perfect Tarzan.

Filming.

Principal photography on the film commenced on June 30, 2014, at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England. Filming had begun on the day an announcement was made for the expansion of the studio. Filming wrapped the same year on October 3. Filming took place for a total of 70 days. According to The Wall Street Journal, shooting the film in Africa would have made the budget even higher. Making Africa seem authentic was especially important to the filmmakers, since the film was shot in England, except for six weeks in Gabon, filming background by helicopter without the cast. A working waterfall and a 100-foot-long collapsible pier were assembled at Warner Bros.’ Leavesden studios.

Release, Home media, Box office.

The film was released on July 1, 2016 by Warner Bros., in traditional formats as well as 3D and IMAX 3D. The film was released on October 11, 2016, in traditional formats, Blu-ray, DVD and 4K Blu-ray. The Legend of Tarzan grossed $126.6 million in the United States and Canada and $230.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $356.7 million. Given its $180 million production budget, it would have had to have earned at least $400 million to break even and justify a sequel. Deadline Hollywood’s financial analysts stated that Warner Bros. lost an estimated $40 million on the film, although the studio itself asserted the film broke even. In the United States and Canada, The Legend of Tarzan opened alongside The BFG and The Purge: Election Year, and was projected to gross to $25–33 million in its opening weekend.

In its opening weekend, buoyed by positive word of mouth, the film grossed a better-than-expected $38.5 million, of which IMAX contributed $3.9 million, and $45.6 million over its four-day Independence Day holiday frame, finishing second place at the box office behind Finding Dory, but first among new releases. However, despite its opening numbers, Deadline called the film a “dud”, due to its lofty budget. In China – the film’s second biggest market – the film was granted a rare release date in the month of July, a peculiar move since July is typically the month when Chinese regulators ban foreign films (including Hollywood films) in order to protect and promote their own local films.

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Critical response.

On Rotten Tomatoes, the film has an approval rating of 35% based on 256 reviews with an average rating of 5.1/10. The website’s critical consensus reads, “The Legend of Tarzan has more on its mind than many movies starring the classic character, but that isn’t enough to make up for its generic plot or sluggish pace.” On Metacritic, the film has a weighted average score of 44 out of 100 based on 41 critics, indicating “mixed or average reviews”. Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of “A–” on an A+ to F scale.

Cast:

Alexander Skarsgård as John Clayton III, 5th Earl of Greystoke/Tarzan Rory J. Saper as 18-year-old Tarzan
- Christian Stevens as 5-year-old Tarzan
Christoph Waltz as Léon Rom
Samuel L. Jackson as George Washington
Margot Robbie as Jane Clayton,
Djimon Hounsou as Chief Mbonga
Jim Broadbent as The 3rd Marquess
Casper Crump as Major Kerckhover
Ben Chaplin as Captain Moulle
Hadley Fraser as John Clayton II
Genevieve O’Reilly as Alice Clayton
Yule Masiteng as Muviro
Mimi Ndiweni as Eshe
Simon Russell Beale as Mr. Frum