Casting is heating up for Warner Bros.’ upcoming Tarzan reboot. Already set to play the titular hero is Alexander Skarsgård and now we’re hearing that Christoph Waltz is wanted for the villain role, that of a military figure, and Emma Stone is wanted for the part of Jane, Tarzan’s love interest.
This is a project that’s been in development for a while now, with many actors and actresses flirting with it at one point or another. If you recall, in recent months, both Samuel L. Jackson and Jessica Chastain were said to be circling roles in the film. There’s no confirmation on whether or not they are still involved but we do know that the studio is getting serious about casting and they want to get everything finalized sooner rather than later.
Stone is apparently Warner Bros.’ first choice but due to her busy schedule, she may have to decline. If she does, then Margot Robbie, who will be seen in the upcoming Martin Scorsese film The Wolf of Wall Street, may have a shot as she’s quite high up on the studio’s list as well.
As for Waltz, well, he’s already proven himself many times in villainous roles and I have no problem with him taking another one on in Tarzan. He’s an excellent actor and should make for a formidable foe for our titular hero.
Set to shoot next Summer, the film actually got shut down this past Spring due to budget concerns. Apparently, things have been cleared up on that front and everything is just about ready to go.
Personally, I find it hard to get excited about a Tarzan reboot, despite the strong cast that’s being put together. I just don’t have much interest in the character and until we get a clearer sense of what kind of shape the story will take and which direction Yates plans to go in with this, I’m going to remain cautiously optimistic.