Warner Bros have been flirting for years with a new tentpole blockbuster based around
Edgar Rice Burroughs' famous jungle housed
Tarzan, a character who next year turns 100 years old since his debut publication. Way back in 2006,
Guillermo del Toro was eyeing a new epic 'dark and fantastical' adaptation which in the end proved to be too 'dark and fantastical' for the WB's liking. More recently it was the CGI friendly commercial filmmaker behind G.I. Joe and The Mummy -
Stephen Sommers who was hoping to make
Tarzan, Lord of the Apes a movie that would pick and choose from the character's past, meshing together the best translations of the hero from comics & film from the past century. Neither men could find the momentum at WB to get their films off the ground but now it's hoped a new swing at the material can produce the desired results.
Deadline say
Hustle & Flow and
Black Snake Moan helmer
Craig Brewer has been tapped to write & direct a new version of Tarzan, perhaps dubiously making it known that it is a 'passion project' for him. Perhaps even more dubiously the world 'trilogy' is being branded about and Brewer is planning three films for himself to make. The strange thing is WB aren't even sure Brewer is the man to make even one Tarzan film having separately got
Adam Cozad (Archangel, Jack Ryan reboot) 'working on a
script that tells a different version of the man raised by apes in the jungles of Africa from infancy'. Brewer hopes Tarzan will make for his next film but maybe WB aren't so sure yet? It's said they will decide on which script they prefer the most. Is there a place for Tarzan in the 21st century? Who knows... but I guess the character has endured 100 years so someone somewhere will be excited for this.