The Legend of Tarzan is a 2016 action adventure film directed by David Yates. Based on the character Tarzan created by Edgar Rice Burroughs, the film features an ensemble cast including Alexander Skarsgård, Samuel L. Jackson, Margot Robbie, Djimon Hounsou, and Christoph Waltz. The story follows John Clayton (Tarzan), who, after moving to London, is convinced by George Washington Williams to return to his former home in the jungles of Africa, to investigate claims of slavery.
Principal photography began on June 21, 2014, at Leavesden Studios in the United Kingdom and wrapped four months later. The film premiered at the Dolby Theatre in Los Angeles on June 29, 2016, and was theatrically released in the United States on July 1, 2016, by Warner Bros. Pictures. It grossed $356.7 million worldwide against a budget of $180 million and received mixed reviews from critics.
Plot
At the Berlin Conference of 1884–1885, King Leopold II of Belgium claims the Congo Basin. Five years later, after accruing massive debts in exploiting the resources of the Congo Free State, Leopold sends his envoy Léon Rom to secure the fabled diamonds of Opar. The expedition is massacred by warriors led by Chief Mbonga, who offers Rom diamonds in exchange for Tarzan.
The man once called "Tarzan", The Rt Hon. John Clayton, Earl of Greystoke, has left Africa for his estate in Britain with his American wife Jane. John's parents survived a shipwreck only to die in Africa, where their child, as a baby, was adopted by the Mangani, a race of apes.
John is offered an invitation from Leopold to visit Boma. The Prime Minister, The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, and George Washington Williams (the American envoy) explain that Leopold is defaulting on his loans, and a visit from John – whose exploits as Tarzan made him a celebrity – would secure Britain's influence in the Congo. John, however, refuses and leaves the meeting. George later approaches John, reveals his suspicions that Leopold is sanctioning slavery, and persuades John to accompany him to the Congo as a credible witness to discover the truth.
John, Jane, and George journey to the Congo, circumventing Rom and his corrupt financier Mr. Frum, and are welcomed by the Kuba village of Clayton and Jane's youth. Rom and his men arrive during the night and capture the villagers, killing Chief Muviro, taking John prisoner, and taking the Chief's son Wasimbu along with other young men to serve as porters. George rescues John, but Jane and the captive villagers are taken aboard Rom's steamship. Rom turns out to have arranged John's invitation from Leopold to deliver him to Mbonga.
Pursuing the steamship, John, George, and the village's remaining warriors seize a train carrying Belgian and other European soldiers in askari uniforms along with enslaved Congolese. An engineer informs them of Rom's plan to take over the Congo, sanctioned by Leopold: using slave labor, Rom has built forts across the region, linked by railway and river travel, for an army of 20,000 mercenaries soon to arrive. With Leopold bankrupt, Rom needs Opar's diamonds to pay for the army.
Finding documents that will expose Leopold, John and George leave the proof with the Kuba warriors and rescue enslaved people to deliver to Boma. They continue on through Mangani territory. Confronted by the Mangani, John is forced to fight his foster brother Akut, now the alpha male. John loses and is left injured, but he and George are permitted to travel on by Akut.
Jane and Wasimbu escape the steamship and flee into the jungle. Jane sends Wasimbu off to rally the other tribes, knowing that Rom's men will follow her. Jane encounters the Mangani, and Rom's men open fire on them. John arrives, saving some Mangani, including Akut, and pursues Rom, who takes Jane to Mbonga's tribe to collect the diamonds. Years before, Mbonga's son killed John's foster mother Kala. Enraged, John killed him to avenge her. Mbonga attacks John, who wins the fight but spares the chief. George and the Mangani then arrive to stop the fighting, and the two foreigners convince Mbonga that Rom is their common enemy.
Rom takes Jane and the diamonds to Boma, where the mercenary army approaches shore. John and George send a stampede of wildebeest through the town, overrunning Rom's men, as the Kuba warriors arrive by train and free their families. John rescues Jane and pursues Rom, who prepares to deliver the diamonds to Frum and the mercenaries. George sinks the steamship, while Rom attempts to strangle John with his rosary.
Using a mating call to summon crocodiles, John breaks free and leaves Rom to be devoured. As the vessel's boiler explodes, John escapes. Frum and the fleet of mercenaries depart. George returns to London and presents the prime minister with an open letter to Leopold exposing the slavery and abuses of the Congolese people.
One year later, John and Jane have relocated to Africa. They celebrate the birth of their son, and John returns to his rightful place among the great apes as Tarzan.
Cast Alexander Skarsgård as John Clayton III, 5th Earl of Greystoke / Tarzan. On his character Tarzan, Skarsgård said, "This is about a man who's holding back; and slowly, as you peel off the layers, he reverts back to a more animalistic state and lets that side of his personality out." To get in Tarzan shape, Skarsgård spent 4 months in a training regimen before filming started and gained 24 pounds. Part of his training was for movement work with choreographer Wayne McGregor. Rory J. Saper as 18-year-old Tarzan Christian Stevens as 5-year-old Tarzan Christoph Waltz as Captain Léon Rom, an iron-fisted, government-driven and fighting-adept Belgian official sent by King Leopold II of Belgium to find diamonds and control the region. Samuel L. Jackson as George Washington Williams, an American entrepreneur and veteran of the Indian Wars who becomes an ally to Tarzan. Margot Robbie as Jane Clayton, Countess of Greystoke, née Porter, Tarzan's feisty and devoted wife. Ella Purnell as Young Jane Porter body double (uncredited) Djimon Hounsou as Chief Mbonga, the leader of the leopard men of Opar (an African tribe that controls the diamond region), who wants revenge against Tarzan for the death of his son. Jim Broadbent as The 3rd Marquess of Salisbury, the British Prime Minister. Casper Crump as Major Kerckhover, Rom's violent first lieutenant Ben Chaplin as Captain Moulle Hadley Fraser as John Clayton II, 4th Earl of Greystoke (Tarzan's father) Genevieve O'Reilly as Alice Clayton, Countess of Greystoke (Tarzan's mother) Yule Masiteng as Muviro, the chieftain of the Kuba people Mimi Ndiweni as Eshe Simon Russell Beale as Mr. Frum
Production Development An updated version of Tarzan had been in the works since at least 2003, with John August writing followed by John Collee in 2006 with Guillermo del Toro slated to direct. Del Toro dropped out to work on The HobbitGuillermo del Toro's unrealized projects#Tarzan and by 2008, it was reported that a different version of Tarzan, co-written by Stephen Sommers and Stuart Beatle, that was said to resemble the Pirates of the Caribbean series, was in development. By 2011, Craig Brewer, who also rewrote a version of the script, was set to direct the film, although this did not come to pass. Instead, David Yates was chosen to direct in 2012. Other directors in the running included Susanna White and Gary Ross. In April 2013, it was reported that the production was temporarily suspended due to budgetary concerns.
Casting For a while, producer Jerry Weintraub wanted swimmer Michael Phelps to play the title role, feeling that he was the heir apparent to Johnny Weissmuller, the actor who had famously played Tarzan, and who was also a prominent competitive swimmer. Weintraub reportedly changed his mind after watching Phelps host Saturday Night Live, for only two minutes. Other early contenders for the role included Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and Charlie Hunnam. On November 14, 2012, Alexander Skarsgård was cast in the title role, the choice of director Yates, while Samuel L. Jackson was being eyed to play Williams in the film. Yates found Skarsgård to be the perfect Tarzan. He liked that he was born in Sweden but had found a career in America, so "he has this wonderful quality of not quite belonging to one or the other", he said. On March 6, 2013, it was reported that Yates wanted Jessica Chastain to play Jane Porter. On September 26, 2013, Christoph Waltz was in talks to play the villain in the film; he was later cast, as Captain Rom.
The studio eyed Margot Robbie and Emma Stone to play the female lead character, Jane Porter. Emma Watson, Sarah Bolger, Georgina Haig, Lucy Hale, Lyndsy Fonseca, Eleanor Tomlinson, Gabriella Wilde, Lucy Boynton and Cressida Bonas were all considered for the part. On January 18, 2014, Robbie was cast in the film, opposite Skarsgård, beating Stone for the role. On June 4, Djimon Hounsou was set to play Chief Mbonga in the film. On June 17, Osy Ikhile was added to the cast to play a supporting role, but the character was not then named. Casper Crump was cast to play Captain Kerchover. The release of the first trailer in December 2015 revealed that Jim Broadbent was also part of the cast.
Filming Principal photography on the film commenced on June 30, 2014, at Warner Bros. Studios in Leavesden, Hertfordshire, England. Filming had begun on the day an announcement was made for the expansion of the studio. Filming wrapped the same year on October 3. Filming took place for a total of 70 days. According to The Wall Street Journal, shooting the film in Africa would have made the budget even higher.
Making Africa seem authentic was especially important to the filmmakers, since the film was shot in England, except for six weeks in Gabon, filming background by helicopter without the cast. A working waterfall and a 100-foot-long collapsible pier were assembled at Warner Bros.' Leavesden studios. Seven versions of the African jungle were constructed to show different scenery throughout the filming. Plants from Holland were mixed with trees sculpted by the art department. Kedleston Hall in Derbyshire stood in for the Greystoke Manor, and a cedar tree on the grounds of Highclere Castle served as the setting for an early pivotal scene between Tarzan and Jane.
Soundtrack
The film's score was composed by Rupert Gregson-Williams. The soundtrack was released on June 24, 2016, by WaterTower Music and on CD on July 15, 2016. Tony Clarke, Thomas Farnon, and Tom Howe are credited for additional music. Hozier provided a single, "Better Love", which is played at the film's end credits.
Release The film was released on July 1, 2016, by Warner Bros., in standard formats as well as RealD 3D, IMAX 3D, and 4DX.
Home media The film was released on October 11, 2016, in standard formats, DVD, Blu-ray, Blu-ray 3D and 4K Blu-ray.
Reception
Box office The Legend of Tarzan grossed $126.6 million in the United States and Canada and $230.1 million in other territories, for a worldwide total of $356.7 million. Given its $180 million production budget, it would have had to earn at least $400 million to break even and justify a sequel. Deadline Hollywoods financial analysts stated that Warner Bros. lost an estimated $40 million on the film, although the studio itself asserted the film broke even.