Tarzan and the Lost City

Tarzan and the Lost City

Company type	Film
Industry	Film
Founded	1998
Key people	Carl Schenkel (director), Bayard Johnson (screenplay), J. Anderson Black (screenplay), Stanley S. Canter (producer)
Products	Adventure film

Tarzan and the Lost City is a 1998 American adventure film helmed by director Carl Schenkel, with a screenplay penned by Bayard Johnson and J. Anderson Black. The movie features performances by Casper Van Dien, Jane March, and Steven Waddington. Its narrative draws loosely from the Tarzan universe created by Edgar Rice Burroughs. Despite its $20 million budget, the film underperformed at the box office, earning just $2.2 million, and was met with predominantly unfavorable critiques.

Stanley S. Canter, the producer, had prior experience with Tarzan-themed cinema, having been involved in the production of Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) for Warner Bros..

Plot

Set in 1913, shortly before Jane Porter's marriage to John Clayton II (Tarzan), Clayton experiences a prophetic vision signaling threats to his native land. Meanwhile, treasure seeker Nigel Ravens embarks on a quest to locate the mythical city of Opar, aiming to harness its ancient riches and mystical powers. Clayton journeys to Africa to confront these dangers, joining forces with Mugambe, whose community has suffered attacks from Ravens' group.

After failed attempts at negotiation with Ravens, Jane pursues Clayton to Africa. He faces the challenge of safeguarding her while thwarting Ravens' expedition.

Cast

• Casper Van Dien as John Clayton/Tarzan
• Jane March as Jane Porter
• Steven Waddington as Nigel Ravens
• Winston Ntshona as Mugambe
• Rapulana Seiphemo as Kaya
• Ian Roberts as Captain Dooley
• Sean Taylor as Wilkes
• Gys De Villiers as Schiller

Production

Principal photography took place in Bethlehem, Free State and Port Edward, KwaZulu-Natal, located in South Africa. The original score was composed by German musician Christopher Franke.

Reception

The movie was largely met with criticism, particularly targeting its modest production budget, visual effects, and script quality. On the review platform Rotten Tomatoes, it holds a low approval rating of 6% based on 18 critic reviews.

However, The New York Times offered a somewhat favorable perspective; critic Lawrence Van Gelder regarded it as reminiscent of classic Saturday afternoon adventure tales set in exotic environments and commended its pacing along with its adventurous spirit.

Box office

Released concurrently with The Big Hit, the film debuted at number 12 during its opening weekend with earnings of $1 million and concluded its theatrical run with a total gross near $2 million, categorizing it as a commercial disappointment.