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The Legend of Tarzan (film)

From Alfawiki
The Legend of Tarzan
Company typeFilm
IndustryMotion picture
Founded2016; 10 years ago (2016)
FounderDavid Yates (director)
Headquarters
Leavesden
,
United Kingdom
ProductsAdventure film
ParentWarner Bros. Pictures

The Legend of Tarzan is a 2016 adventure film helmed by director David Yates. Adapted from the iconic character Tarzan originally created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the movie stars an ensemble cast including Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, Jim Broadbent, and Christoph Waltz. The storyline centers on John Clayton (Tarzan), who, after settling in London, is convinced by George Washington Williams to return to Africa to investigate allegations of slavery. This film marked the final project produced by Jerry Weintraub before his passing in 2015.

Principal photography began on June 21, 2014, at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom and wrapped up four months later. The movie debuted at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29, 2016, and was released across the United States on July 1, 2016, available in 2D, 3D, and IMAX formats through distribution by Warner Bros. Pictures. It earned $356.7 million globally against a production budget of $180 million and garnered mixed reviews from critics.

Plot

During the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, King Leopold II of Belgium stakes his claim over the Congo Basin. Five years onward, burdened by enormous debts from exploiting the Congo Free State, Leopold dispatches his envoy, Léon Rom, to obtain the legendary diamonds of Opar. However, Rom’s expedition is ambushed and slaughtered by warriors commanded by Chief Mbonga, who offers Rom diamonds in exchange for the capture of Tarzan.

John Clayton, The Rt Hon. Tarzan, Earl of Greystoke, has relocated from Africa to Britain with his American wife, Jane. Though his parents survived a shipwreck only to perish later in Africa, John was raised by the Mangani, a species of apes.

Leopold invites John to visit Boma. There, the Prime Minister, Robert Gascoyne-Cecil, 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, along with American emissary George Washington Williams, reveal that Leopold is defaulting on his loans. They believe John's fame as Tarzan could help Britain assert control over the Congo. Initially resistant, John is eventually persuaded by George to join him in investigating suspicions of slavery endorsed by Leopold.

John, Jane, and George travel to the Congo while evading Rom and financier Mr. Frum. They receive a warm welcome from the Kuba village where Jane was raised. Rom’s forces capture villagers and kill Chief Muviro; John is taken prisoner alongside Wasimbu and others forced into servitude. George rescues John; meanwhile, Jane and other captives are loaded onto Rom’s steamship. Unbeknownst to John, Rom orchestrated his invitation as bait to deliver him to Mbonga.

In pursuit of the steamship, John, George, and Kuba warriors commandeer a train transporting soldiers from the Force Publique and enslaved Congolese. An engineer reveals Rom’s plan—funded by Leopold—to utilize slave labor for constructing forts connected via rail and river routes for a forthcoming mercenary army numbering 20,000 troops. With Leopold bankrupt, Rom requires Opar’s diamonds to finance this force.

John and George discover documents exposing Leopold’s atrocities and entrust them to Kuba warriors for delivery to Boma. Passing through Mangani lands, John engages in combat with his foster brother Akut but is defeated; despite being wounded, they are granted safe passage.

Jane and Wasimbu escape captivity aboard the steamship; Jane sends Wasimbu to unite various tribes while she flees into the jungle. Rom’s men assault the Mangani; John arrives just in time to rescue several apes including Akut before chasing after Rom, who has taken Jane to Mbonga’s tribe in exchange for the diamonds. Mbonga’s son had killed John's foster mother Kala years earlier; John avenges her death by killing Mbonga's son. After defeating Mbonga himself, John spares his life; George and the Mangani convince Mbonga that Rom is their mutual adversary.

Rom transports Jane and the diamonds to Boma as mercenaries approach the shore. John and George trigger a wildebeest stampede through town; Kuba warriors arrive by train to liberate imprisoned families. John rescues Jane and pursues Rom who attempts to hand over the diamonds to Frum and mercenaries. George sinks Rom’s steamship; during a struggle where Rom tries to strangle John with a rosary,

John calls crocodiles using a mating call, breaking free as Rom is left to be devoured while an explosion destroys the boiler. Frum and his mercenaries retreat. George returns to London carrying an open letter that exposes Leopold’s abuses.

One year later, John and Jane settle back in Africa where they celebrate their newborn son; John resumes his place among the great apes as Tarzan.

Cast

Development

Efforts to develop a modern Tarzan adaptation have been ongoing since at least 2003. Initially, John August penned the screenplay, followed by John Collee in 2006. At one point, director Guillermo del Toro was attached but departed to focus on The Hobbit. By 2008, a fresh iteration co-written by Stephen Sommers and Stuart Beattie was in progress, aiming for a tone reminiscent of the Pirates of the Caribbean films. In 2011, after revising the script, Craig Brewer was slated to direct; however, the project transitioned to David Yates in 2012. Other directors considered included Susanna White and Gary Ross. Production faced a temporary halt in April 2013 due to financial concerns.

Casting

Producer Jerry Weintraub initially contemplated swimmer Michael Phelps for the lead role, viewing him as a modern-day Johnny Weissmuller successor but reconsidered after Phelps’s brief stint on Saturday Night Live. Early candidates for Tarzan included Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and Charlie Hunnam. On November 14, 2012, director Yates selected Alexander Skarsgård for the role, appreciating his Swedish-American heritage as suitable for Tarzan. Meanwhile, Samuel L. Jackson was considered for Williams.

By March 2013, Yates showed interest in casting Jessica Chastain as Jane Porter. Later that year, on September 26, discussions began with Christoph Waltz, who was ultimately cast as antagonist Captain Rom. The studio also pursued actresses such as Margot Robbie and Emma Stone for Jane; other contenders included Emma Watson, Sarah Bolger, and Lucy Boynton. On January 18, 2014, Robbie was confirmed in the role over Stone.

Additional casting announcements featured Djimon Hounsou as Chief Mbonga (June 4), supporting actor Osy Ikhile (June 17), and Casper Crump as Captain Kerckhover. The December 2015 trailer also revealed the inclusion of Jim Broadbent.

Filming

Principal photography commenced on June 30, 2014, at Warner Bros. Studios Leavesden located in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England. This filming kickoff coincided with Warner Bros.’ announcement of a studio expansion. The shooting schedule concluded on October 3, 2014, following a 70-day production period. According to reports from The Wall Street Journal, shooting scenes in Africa would have considerably raised the overall budget.

To realistically represent Africa while primarily filming in England, the crew spent six weeks capturing aerial background shots in Gabon using helicopters, without involving the actors. At the Leavesden studios, a functioning waterfall and a 100-foot collapsible pier were fabricated. Seven distinct versions of an African jungle environment were created by combining flora imported from Holland with custom-designed trees. Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire served as the stand-in for Greystoke Manor, and a cedar tree at Highclere Castle was utilized for an early pivotal scene between Tarzan and Jane.

Soundtrack

The musical score for the film was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams and was initially released on June 24, 2016, through WaterTower Music, followed by a CD release on July 15, 2016. Additional contributions to the music were made by Tony Clarke, Thomas Farnon, and Tom Howe. The musician Hozier provided the track "Better Love," which is featured during the end credits.

Release

The Legend of Tarzan debuted on July 1, 2016, distributed by Warner Bros., and was available in standard format as well as 3D and IMAX 3D presentations.

Home media

The movie became available for home viewing on October 11, 2016, across various physical formats including Blu-ray, DVD, and 4K Blu-ray.

Box office

Worldwide box office receipts for The Legend of Tarzan reached $356.7 million, with $126.6 million earned domestically and $230.1 million from international markets. Given its $180 million production cost, the film needed to generate over $400 million globally to break even and justify a sequel. Analysts at Deadline Hollywood projected a $40 million loss for Warner Bros., although the studio asserted that the film broke even financially.

In North America, it opened opposite The BFG and The Purge: Election Year, with initial projections estimating an opening weekend gross between $25 million and $33 million. The release spanned 3,561 theaters and approximately 6,700 screens on July 1. Opening day revenue was $14 million—$1.4 million of which came from IMAX—and Thursday previews added $2.6 million. The first weekend totaled $38.5 million (including $3.9 million from IMAX), while the four-day Independence Day holiday generated $46.6 million. It ranked second behind Finding Dory but led among new releases. Despite these figures, Deadline described the film as a "dud" due to its substantial budget.

Internationally, the release schedule was staggered to avoid clashing with UEFA Euro 2016 events. The film's financial outcome heavily depended on overseas markets. Jeff Goldstein, Warner’s EVP of domestic distribution, highlighted the significant international potential of the property. Alongside North America, it opened in 19 markets—including Russia and South Korea—earning $19.3 million from roughly 6,700 screens and $1.2 million from 122 IMAX locations.

In Russia and the CIS territories, it debuted at number one with $3.1 million—the lowest top opening since April—while in South Korea it placed second with $4 million amid strong competition from local films Familyhood and The Hunt. In the UK and Ireland, it entered at number two with $4.7 million behind The Secret Life of Pets, and in Australia it earned $3.2 million trailing Finding Dory. It topped box office charts in India, Indonesia, Thailand, Malaysia, Mexico (with $4.6 million), Brazil ($3.4 million), Spain ($1.8 million), Italy ($1.6 million), much of Eastern Europe, and Puerto Rico; Germany ($2 million), UAE ($1.6 million), and Japan ($1.5 million) posted comparable openings.

China—ranking as its second-largest market—secured an uncommon July release date despite typical regulatory preferences favoring domestic productions during this period. Opening on July 19 with a $7 million first day haul, it accumulated nearly $27 million over six days and achieved a three-day weekend total of $12 million but finished second to Skiptrace, which dominated with over 56% market share compared to Tarzan’s 16%.

The leading international markets by total revenue were China ($45.1 million), Mexico ($13.7 million), and the UK/Ireland ($11.9 million).

Critical reception

On Rotten Tomatoes, the movie has garnered a 36% approval rating based on 258 reviews, with an average score of 5.1/10. The site’s consensus remarks that while The Legend of Tarzan attempts to explore deeper themes than many other adaptations of the iconic character, it ultimately falls short due to its conventional storyline and slow pacing. Meanwhile, Metacritic assigns the film a score of 44 out of 100 from 41 critic reviews, reflecting "mixed or average" feedback. Audience surveys conducted by CinemaScore awarded the film an "A−" rating.

Manohla Dargis from The New York Times commended the film for presenting a more nuanced and flawed portrayal of Tarzan. Similarly, Peter Travers at Rolling Stone found it "watchable," noting that this is considerable praise for a summer blockbuster.

In contrast, Peter Debruge of Variety labeled the movie as a "talky and largely tedious" effort by director David Yates to replicate his success with another literary adaptation. Jordan Hoffman from The Guardian criticized the narrative, screenplay, and visual effects, while also pointing out the film’s uneasy colonial undertones and its conflicting mix of political correctness and white savior motifs.

Awards and nominations

Award Ceremony date Category Nominee(s) Outcome
Alliance of Women Film Journalists December 21, 2016 Actress Most in Need of a New Agent Margot Robbie (also for Suicide Squad) Template:Nom
Jupiter Awards March 29, 2017 Best International Actress Margot Robbie Template:Nom
Saturn Awards June 28, 2017 Best Action or Adventure Film The Legend of Tarzan Template:Nom

See also

External links

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