After making four consecutive “Harry Potter” movies, director David Yates is ready to embrace his primal side for his next project.
The director has signed on for Warner Bros.’ long-planned new take on Edgar Rice Burrough’s timeless “Tarzan” tale.
Yates has apparently met with “Man of Steel’s” Henry Cavill, Charlie Hunnam (“Sons of Anarchy”) and “True Blood’s” Alexander Skarsgard to discuss the part, according to Vulture. The studio is also considering Tom Hardy (“Dark Knight Rises”). Of course, someone else entirely different could end up wearing the loincloth and swinging from the trees in the film.
Producer Jerry Weintraub has been trying to make “Tarzan” at Warners for years, with director Craig Brewer (“Footloose,” “Hustle & Flow”) once a candidate to direct. Yates, with his relationship with WB and his experience with fantasy and effects, seems to be a more logical choice.
Recently Yates exited “Your Voice in My Head,” which would have reunited him with “Harry Potter” co-star Emma Watson.
Disney’s 2011 box office bomb “John Carter” was also based on the writings of Burrough, however “Tarzan” has had a much more successful track record on the big screen, ranging from the dozen or so films starring Johnny Weissmuller in the ’30s and ’40s, to Disney’s 1999 animated hit.
Who would you like to see as Tarzan?