Warner Bros.' fall fantasy epicPanis a certified bomb. And now, they may be facing similar troubles with another iconic character that they are rebooting for the big screen next summer.Tarzanis their $180 million attempt at resurrecting the legendary ape man. And issues are arising from the fact that this jungle adventure still needs a lot of work done. While there are 8 and a half months left until its scheduled release, director of the movie,David Yates, has already moved onto Warner Bros.' Harry Potter PrequelFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them.
Tarzanremains unfinished asFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themis already well into its shoot. This is causing an unusual problem for the studio and the director. Though, sources close to both productions claim that the move fromTarzantoFantastic Beastswas planned well in advance. Warner Bros. is trying to quiet any speculation thatTarzanis doomed to follow in the footsteps ofPan, though some behind-the-scenes are calling it an epic ‘mess’. One Warners executive had this to say.
“While it’s somewhat unusual, we are extremely comfortable with the production timelines, which were set in advance, and have total confidence in the skill of David Yates - who is a four-time Harry Potter director - to deliver both of these pictures.”
Another source directly involved withTarzanclaims that the film is overstuffed with VFX and is simply not going to get the attention that it needs, especially sinceFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themis a higher priority, considering it could take the Harry Potter franchise well into the future. This second individual had this to say aboutTarzanstumbling towards completion.
“The schedule of the J.K. Rowling movie got in the way of an appropriate postproduction schedule on Tarzan. Why would you ever crowd a director into starting a movie before his other movie is properly finished?”
TarzanstarsAlexander Skarsgårdas theKing of the Apes, withMargot Robbiestarring asJane. Other cast members includeChristoph Waltz,Samuel L. Jackson,John HurtandDjimon Hounsou. The action-adventure based onEdgar Rice Burroughs' legendary book series has already held test screenings, and the results were not good. That said, the film is far from finished, and still has plenty of visual effects work that needs to be completed. Revisions, if done properly, could greatly improve the movie as it stands now.
Warner Bros. insiders are quick to note that bothSteven SpielbergandClint Eastwoodhave jumped from one film into the next, even though their previous projects were far from finished. Though, neither director is said to have ever tried such a herculian task with a movie budgeted at $180 million. And the film is a very complicated and challenging project to boot.
Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Thembegan shooting underDavid Yatesin August, and features an ensemble cast led byEddie Redmayneas cryptozoologist Newt Scamander. Other cast members includeKatherine Waterston,Ezra Miller, Alison Sudol,Dan Fogler, Jenn Murray,Colin Farrell, along with recent cast additionsJon VoightandRon Perlman. It is believed thatDavid Yatesis concentrating onFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themthroughout the week, and then he goes back to work onTarzanduring the weekends.
IfTarzanbecomes too much of a headache during theFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Themshoot, insiders speculate that Warner Bros. will simply knock it away from its June 04, 2025 release date. The studio is supposedly not worried, as it hasGuy Ritchie’sKnights of the Round Tablearriving just a few weeks later on July 22 and the DC Comics adventureSuicide Squadcoming quickly thereafter on August 5 in what some are calling a crowded summer for Warner Bros.
Warner Bros. hasn’t had the best luck launching franchise and big tentpole movies as of late. Not only did this fall’sPando a stinging red belly flop, the often delayedJupiter Ascendingwas also a box office bomb when it arrived still born this past February. AndThe Man from U.N.C.L.E., released this past August, didn’t fare much better. Looking at this recent track record, it’s no doubt that the studio might be concerned aboutTarzan, which has about as much audience interest asPanat this point. There has been no promotional push for the jungle drama at all. And a lot of moviegoers probably don’t even know it’s on the horizon.
While Warner Bros. doesn’t sound hesitant about pullingTarzanoff their impendingsummer releaseschedule, there is no way they can delayFantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. The film, which is being scripted by original Harry Potter authorJ.K. Rowling, is positioned as one of next year’s biggest Holiday releases. Says a source from Warner Bros.
“Notwithstanding that Tarzan isn’t a cheap movie, the [Beasts] series is clearly one of [Warner Bros.] three planks [along with Lego and DC Comics]. At Warner Bros. right now, anything pales in comparison to those three silos.”
Tarzanfaced a major set back this past July when producerJerry Weintraubpassed away. Many believe the project wouldn’t be running into problems were he still around to manage it. Some also doubt that, despite being surrounded by a strong ensemble cast,Alexander Skarsgård, best known for his HBO seriesTrue Blood, can carry the weight of a movie like this on his shoulders. And they speculate that Warners would have been better off with a better knownactor in the lead. What do you think? Are you still excited to see a newTarzan? Or were you never to begin with?
