It’s been a while since we’ve heard anything about the David Yates-directed adaptation of Tarzan that’s in the works over at Warner Bros. We learned in February that the studio had given Yates’ film a firm release date of July 1st, 2016, and even before that we knew that Alexander Skarsgard (True Blood) and Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) had signed on to play Tarzan and his love interest Jane, respectively.
Today, however, we’re hearing that Djimon Hounsou, a well-respected actor best known for his roles in Gladiator, In America and Blood Diamond, has joined the cast. Hounsou will play the role of Chief Mbonga in the blockbuster adaptation of Edgar Rice Burroughs’ classic adventure novels.
In addition to Skarsgard, Robbie and now Hounsou, Tarzan is expected to feature Christoph Waltz as the film’s main villain and Samuel L. Jackson as a friend of the titular character. Yates, who previously directed the final four films in Warner Bros.’s mega-successful Harry Potter franchise, is certainly working with a highly talented cast on this adaptation, and more casting announcements are expected soon.
Tarzan isn’t hitting theaters for a while, but this is one film we’re definitely keeping an eye on, even more so now that an actor of Hounsou’s talents has signed on. Admittedly, the project ran into some trouble early on, and a lot of people wrote it off. Now, however, everything is looking pretty optimistic and we’re very hopeful that this will finally be the proper Tarzan adaptation that we’ve all been waiting for.
