Tarzan of the Apes

Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
I certainly see where you're coming from, but I must disagree. Brix looks pretty good overall, but those legs are too spindly. He would never be able to get the kind of leverage on Kerchak he needed before the silverback destroyed him.
Can't argue with that logic!:hat: In that case, none of the on-screen Tarzans comes anywhere close to his physical requirements, except for maybe Gordon Scott (1955-1960). He couldn't act if his life depended on it but had a more muscular build than any other whom I've seen. (The early '90s TV series isn't something that I watched but a friend's mother used to tune in regularly, simply for its beefcake star. Maybe that guy fits the bill?:confused:)
Le Saboteur said:
Watch this gorilla snap this banana tree nearly in half.
Before I die, I want to see gorillas in the wild. It's on my life's "to do" list.;)
Le Saboteur said:
I'm going to need to add some of these to my Netflix queue. There's so much to watch, though!
Heh, we should swap collections, Sabby-baby. You need to see more Tarzan movies whereas I need to read more Tarzan books!;) If you haven't seen any of the Lex Barker-as-Tarzan movies, check those out for they are some of my favourites.

Yes, there is so much to watch. I've seen most but not all. (Makes me wonder which literary character has the most on-screen representations. In 'western world' literature, I'd venture to guess that it's either Tarzan or Sherlock Holmes.)
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Stoo said:
Can't argue with that logic!:hat: In that case, none of the on-screen Tarzans comes anywhere close to his physical requirements, except for maybe Gordon Scott (1955-1960).

No, they don't. The studios seem to gravitate towards a "swimmer's build" for the role, which has never bothered me, but they've never quite lived up to how I imagine Tarzan to look. It's highly unlikely that that they ever will since advanced musculature seems to disproportionately affect acting ability.

Stoo said:
(The early '90s TV series isn't something that I watched but a friend's mother used to tune in regularly, simply for its beefcake star. Maybe that guy fits the bill?:confused:)

Doesn't look like it! He's very similar to everybody else who's taken on the role. Though, I was completely unaware of the series' existence until a couple of days ago, which is surprising, because I saw a lot of similar shows back then.

Stoo said:
Before I die, I want to see gorillas in the wild. It's on my life's "to do" list.;)

I had the chance many, many years ago but the visa/license/whatever they're calling it these days was out of my budget. One day, though. Part of my ever evolving travel plans involve a visit to Borneo next year to see wild orangutans. I'm also contemplating a visit to Camp Leakey. They do phenomenal work if anybody cares. They'll also let you get up close and personal with the Old Man of the Forest.


Stoo said:
Heh, we should swap collections, Sabby-baby. You need to see more Tarzan movies whereas I need to read more Tarzan books!;) If you haven't seen any of the Lex Barker-as-Tarzan movies, check those out for they are some of my favourites.

Not a bad idea! I actually have duplicate copies of a handful of the books in the middle part of the series. If you're interested, let me know! Same goes for everybody else.

Stoo said:
In 'western world' literature, I'd venture to guess that it's either Tarzan or Sherlock Holmes.)[/SIZE]

I'd guess the same. Though, with the late resurgence in Holmes' popularity I would be forced to give him the nod. The Ape Man's association with the bad old days doesn't help either.

I do feel partially obliged to shed some light on Tarzan's adoptive troop...


Scott Tracy Griffin said:
The mangani, Tarzan's adoptive ape tribe, are usually portayed in screen or graphic adaptions as gorillas. However, Burroughs described the mangani as "a species closely allied to the gorilla but more intelligent," and identified gorillas ("Bolgani") as enemies of Tarzan's tribe.

Burroughs was cagey about revealing his refernce material, but wrote to M.N. Bunker, publisher of The Naturopath "[Tarzan of the Apes] is not founded on fact, though in greater part the life of apes is more or less true to nature. The anthropoids have been found and described by reputable travelers and explorers, and the natives of certain central African tribes insist that there is a race of apes of immense size and of much greater intelligence than the gorilla." (August 29, 1914).

For decades, African explorer Paul du Chaillu was considered the authoritative source on the apes of equatorial Africa. Burroughs didn't specifically reference du Chaillu's work, but the pioneering naturalist's influence is evident. Du Chaillu's illustrations also seem to have inspired Tarzan artist J. Allen St. John's interpretation of the mangani.

In Explorations and Adventures in Equatorial Africa (1861), Du Chaillu described a species intermediate to the chimp and gorilla, the Kooloo-kamba, or "talking apes" ("kooloo" describes the sound they make), which has not been discovered by scientists. Early speculation was that it might be a chimp-gorilla hybrid. The kooloo-kamba was described as the most man-like of the apes Du Chaillu encountered and studied in Gabon and Cameroon.

As the Twentieth Century dawned, new tropical African species were being recognized by science: the okapi in 1901, the mountain gorilla in 1902, and the giant forest hog in 1904. The kooloo-kamba was never identified, but in the late 1990s, the scientific community turned its attention to the northern Congo region of Bili, and local accounts of the "Bondo mystery apes": undiscovered giant primates.

The Bili apes proved to be chimpanzees, but initial contact with this hidden population revealed certain cultural differences: they are unusually large, often nest on the ground as gorillas do and are unafraid of predators. Only time -- and more field research -- will tell.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Getting back to the movie casting for a moment...

Le Saboteur the Sad said:
Both outlets indicate that Warner Bros. is in talks with both Emma Stone (Easy A, The Amazing Spider-Man) and Margot Robbie (Pan Am, The Wolf of Wall Street) to fill the role.

With the success of The Wolf of Wall Street, it looks like Margot Robie is virtually assured of having her ship come in. Sensing the opportunity to put some more muscle behind Yates' revival, Warner Bros. is in negotiations to star as Jane opposite Alexander Skarsgard's Ape Man. Per the typically fine folks at The Wrap

The Wrap said:
Hot off a star-making performance as Leonardo DiCaprio?s wife in ?The Wolf of Wall Street,? Margot Robbie is in negotiations to play Jane in David Yates? ?Tarzan,? TheWrap has learned. She is also in talks to replace Amanda Seyfried in Craig Zobel?s ?Z for Zachariah.?

Representatives for both films did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

Robbie plans to shoot ?Zachariah? before taking on Warner Bros? big-budget remake of the classic ?Tarzan,? which is slated to star Alexander Skarsgard, Christoph Waltz and Samuel L. Jackson, according to individuals with knowledge of her schedule.

With Zachariah going into full production soonish, a Tarzan start date could feasibly happen as early as this summer now that the principle players are set.

Doc Savage & Dr. Gonzo, eat your heart out!
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Doc Savage & Dr. Gonzo, eat your heart out!

Somewhere the good doctor is making six second loops of himself bawling his heart out. Or, crying into his craft beer. But, but Shane Black had... a treatment!

In case you missed it, Warner Bros. has officially moved David Yates' reintroduction of Tarzan of the Apes into pre-production status. An official greenlight and full production can't be far behind now!

With Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Margot Robie, and Vampire Eric formally and finally onboard, it looks like that original synopsis might turn out to be truer than anticipated. And with a release date coinciding with the massive July 4th weekend in the States, the studio is clearly intent on big things with this flick!

Warner Bros. said:
Warner Bros. Pictures announced today that the Studio has entered into pre-production on a new live-action 3D Tarzan action adventure, bringing Edgar Rice Burroughs? legendary character back to the big screen. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

Dan Fellman, President, Domestic Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures, also announced that the film has been slated to open domestically on July 1, 2016.

Alexander Skarsgård (HBO?s ?True Blood?) has been set to star as the man who was orphaned as a baby and raised in the jungle, later to return to the urban jungle of London. The film also stars Oscar® nominee Samuel L. Jackson (?Pulp Fiction?); Margot Robbie (?The Wolf of Wall Street?), as Jane Porter, who becomes the love of Tarzan?s life; and two-time Academy Award® winner Christoph Waltz (?Inglourious Basterds,? ?Django Unchained?).

David Yates, who helmed the last four ?Harry Potter? blockbusters, will direct the new feature from a screenplay based on the works of Edgar Rice Burroughs. A Jerry Weintraub production, the film is being produced by Weintraub (?Behind the Candelabra,? the ?Ocean?s? trilogy), together with David Barron and Alan Riche.

In making the announcement, Silverman said, ?We have assembled a phenomenal international cast to tell this extraordinary story. Warner Bros. has also enjoyed long and successful collaborations with both David Yates and Jerry Weintraub, and we look forward to seeing what they and the entire team have in store for this timeless tale.?

Kroll added, ?Tarzan has been an enduring and enigmatic figure in literature and cinema for more than a century. The adventures of a man who was torn between two worlds has entertained and intrigued people young and old, and we are excited to bring him to the screen for a new generation.?

Fellman stated, ?This is a perfect entry for the summer movie season corridor, with a terrific combination of action, adventure, romance and suspense that is sure to appeal to a broad audience.?

Jerry Weintraub added, ?I am so pleased to be reuniting with the team at Warner Bros. on this thrilling project. David Yates and I are going to be using the best of today?s technology in creating this new adventure, and we can?t wait to get started.?

Full article: Warner Bros. Sets Release Date for Its 3D 'Tarzan' Movie

The picture remains untitled for now, but with the animated movie bearing the 3D moniker, it isn't hard to see Yates & Co. to decide on a better title.


Nobody cares! Everybody knows that the Shame of Jane is the best Tarzan movie ev-uh!

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Le Saboteur

Active member
Not Tarzan specific, but it is thematically related. So, until something more concrete happens, I thought I would drop this off here.

One of the small tragedies of the transition from tape to disc is that a lot of flicks once commonly available never made the transition to DVD and now Blu-ray. One of those movies was Disney's live-action of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book* starring Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli. Directed by a young Stephen Sommers, he took a typically kiddified story and turned it into a very entertaining adventure movie featuring all the rich trappings of the British Raj!

* - Turns out it had a very limited run at the dawn of the digital transition and hasn't been seen since. Though, Amazon has a digital download copy available. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and seek it out!

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Captain William Boone was an Indy villain in the making!

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Outside of a couple of truly awful straight-to-video releases from Disney & others, Kipling's most famous work has not seen the big screen in nearly twenty years; a problem that Warner Bros. seems most eager to correct.

Following up their announcement of Yates' Tarzan revival going into full-fledged pre-production, Warner Bros have announced that they've tapped Ron Howard to direct a live action adaptation of The Jungle Book!


The Hollywood Reporter said:
Howard is poised to take the reins a month after Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (Babel) fell off the project due to scheduling conflicts. (Inarritu is in postproduction on Birdman, his first comedy.)

Callie Kloves wrote the screenplay for The Jungle Book, which is based on a story from an 1894 Rudyard Kipling collection. Kloves is the daughter of Steve Kloves, who wrote all of Warner Bros.' Harry Potter films and is on board to produce The Jungle Book. Howard also would produce via his Imagine Entertainment as well as Imagine's Brian Grazer.

Full article: Ron Howard to Direct 'Jungle Book' for Warner Bros.

As the article points out, it allows the studio to keep on pace with Disney who tapped Jon Favreau to helm their live-action version of the very same story. Following the announcement last November, the studio has gone quiet on the status of the project as a whole, but with the '67 version* just hitting the Blu-ray market, could an official announcement be forthcoming?

*- Fun fact: For many people, Disney's jazz-fueled romp through the Subcontinent is the definitive version of The Jungle Book. What they don't usually know is that, until Disney created him, didn't exist in the original stories. Disney created him out of whole cloth.

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Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
Not Tarzan specific, but it is thematically related. So, until something more concrete happens, I thought I would drop this off here.
Interestingly enough, "Tarzan Goes to India" (1962) has the Ape Man teaming up with Jai the Elephant Boy. This kid was pretty much a carbon copy of a character from one of the "Jungle Book" stories, Toomai of the Elephants*.

*Five years before the famed child actor, Sabu, played Mowgli in "Jungle Book" (1942), his first role was as Toomai in, "The Elephant Boy" (1937). Both films were Korda productions.
Le Saboteur said:
One of the small tragedies of the transition from tape to disc is that a lot of flicks once commonly available never made the transition to DVD and now Blu-ray. One of those movies was Disney's live-action of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book* starring Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli. Directed by a young Stephen Sommers, he took a typically kiddified story and turned it into a very entertaining adventure movie featuring all the rich trappings of the British Raj!

* - Turns out it had a very limited run at the dawn of the digital transition and hasn't been seen since. Though, Amazon has a digital download copy available. If you haven't seen it, do yourself a favor and seek it out!
Indeed. The 1994 version of "Jungle Book" is a very good, adventure flick with sumptuous production values. Wonderful music, costumes, set design, etc. and much of it was actually filmed in India. The story becomes quite Indiana-Jones-ish toward the end.

I saw it at the theatre, bought the VHS (with nice, clamshell case) and also burned it onto DVD with an additional bonus feature: a 30 minute, making-of special recorded from the Family Channel back in '94. Here's my own personal disc:

JungleBookDVD_zps562ccfc4.jpg

Le Saboteur said:
In case you missed it, Warner Bros. has officially moved David Yates' reintroduction of Tarzan of the Apes into pre-production status. An official greenlight and full production can't be far behind now!

With Samuel L. Jackson, Christoph Waltz, Margot Robie, and Vampire Eric formally and finally onboard, it looks like that original synopsis might turn out to be truer than anticipated. And with a release date coinciding with the massive July 4th weekend in the States, the studio is clearly intent on big things with this flick!
Great news, except for the Samuel L. Jackson bit. If this version will be taking place during the Victorian era (as reported), then having him as an "ex-mercernary" might just be too politically correct for my tastes. Will have to see how it pans out but I'd prefer to see him ditch his mo'fo accent and stretch his acting abilities as a lead baggage porter or a tribal chief.

Either way, let's hope this thing eventually gets made!(y)
 

Henry Jones VII

Active member
With David Yates directing this movie it could be really interesting. I confess that I don't really know much about the mythology of Tarzan, but I'm all for more adventure movies.

When is the movie due to premiere?
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Henry Jones VII said:
When is the movie due to premiere?

Stoo said:
Either way, let's hope this thing eventually gets made!

July 1st, 2016. So you have plenty of time to acquaint yourself with the 27 books in the ERB cycle, and the roughly one hundred movies already out there!

Just don't expect a movie based on any of the books. A dozen or so people have taken a whack at the script over the years, so specifics are hard to come by at the moment. Full press release here.

tarzan.jpg


Franzetta never could draw an ape worth a damn.
 

kongisking

Active member
I confess, my primary exposure to the character has been with the Disney film. And I honestly think it still holds up as a really entertaining and touching movie. I'm certainly intrigued by Yates being at the helm (he may have started off rocky with the Potter movies, but by the time we got to Deathly Hallows Part 2, he displayed a skill for juggling epic scale with intense human drama).
 

Djd1

New member
I've read all the original books and really enjoyed them - even though some are quite repetitive. I look forward to a movie that captures the pulp feel of the books.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Stoo said:
Great news, except for the Samuel L. Jackson bit. If this version will be taking place during the Victorian era (as reported), then having him as an "ex-mercernary" might just be too politically correct for my tastes. Will have to see how it pans out but I'd prefer to see him ditch his mo'fo accent and stretch his acting abilities as a lead baggage porter or a tribal chief.

Well, Stoo, you're getting your tribal chief! Just not in the personage of Mr. Jackson. Instead, the ever reliable Djimon Honsou will be stepping in to fill the role of Chief M'bonga! Fans of the original cycle should be excited for this inclusion.

kongisking said:
And I honestly think it still holds up as a really entertaining and touching movie.

It's a solid adaptation, so no shame in still liking it. That said, I have often considered in establishing a pulp book club here so people can familiarize themselves with the actual stories that started the trend, but a majority of the books are long out of print, so they'd be difficult to come across. Tarzan, however, is readily available in your local bookstore. If anybody is interested, pick up a copy. We'll start reading in, say, a week?
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
Well, Stoo, you're getting your tribal chief! Just not in the personage of Mr. Jackson. Instead, the ever reliable Djimon Honsou will be stepping in to fill the role of Chief M'bonga! Fans of the original cycle should be excited for this inclusion.
Not familiar with the actor but that is cool. Unfortunately, the article has Samuel L. Jackson still listed in the cast!(n) If he's part of the expedition, Jackson better be playing a baggage porter. If not, then I wouldn't be surprised if Jane is portrayed as a wise-crackin', gun-totin', martial arts expert.
Le Saboteur said:
July 1st, 2016. So you have plenty of time to acquaint yourself with the 27 books in the ERB cycle, and the roughly one hundred movies already out there!
I've seen about 50% of the movies but, yeah, I need to read the actual novels.
Le Saboteur said:
That said, I have often considered in establishing a pulp book club here so people can familiarize themselves with the actual stories that started the trend, but a majority of the books are long out of print, so they'd be difficult to come across. Tarzan, however, is readily available in your local bookstore. If anybody is interested, pick up a copy. We'll start reading in, say, a week?
Give me 2 weeks before I'm back in the English-speaking world to peruse an English bookstore. (Had a copy of the 1st one but lost it lo-o-o-ng ago.)
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Me said:
Jackson better be playing a baggage porter.
Addendum: Make that 'baggage porter or a guide".
Le Saboteur said:
And in other more current Tarzan news, there is a new teaser trailer for the Constantin Films animated feature, Tarzan 3D. It looks like the core story (with a few changes) remains intact, but they've updated it to the modern era. No U.S. release date is forthcoming -- the film rights haven't been sold yet -- but it's set to debut in Germany on the 10th of October 2013.
Did a bit of reading up on this one and, apparently, there are dinosaurs in it...as well as an outer-space-alien connection!:eek:

---
For those of you who like #7 of Marvel's "Further Adventures of Indiana Jones" ("Africa Screams"), check out "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932) for the awesome hippopotamus attack. It's not just one hippo, it's a bunch of 'em!
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Stoo said:
Did a bit of reading up on this one and, apparently, there are dinosaurs in it...as well as an outer-space-alien connection!:eek:

Dinosaurs? Interesting, but not beyond the pale. I'd direct you to the eighth book in ERB's original cycle -- that would be Tarzan the Terrible -- but you would learn something you shouldn't know until you've read the first seven books. So, let's just say that dinosaurs are a well trod path. Very well trod.

---
Stoo said:
For those of you who like #7 of Marvel's "Further Adventures of Indiana Jones" ("Africa Screams"), check out "Tarzan the Ape Man" (1932) for the awesome hippopotamus attack. It's not just one hippo, it's a bunch of 'em!

The one in Congo wasn't half bad either. Speaking of Congo, I sincerely hope they get the Stan Winston Studio to do real ape suits again. Amy was an absolute gem, and they only improved with the Burton Apes remake and Instinct. I can only imagine what they could do with today's technology.

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kongisking

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
I can only imagine what they could do with today's technology.

Ahem...THIS is what we can do with today's technology:

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Oh, wait...that was nine years ago. THIS is today's technology:

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Le Saboteur

Active member
kongisking said:
Ahem...THIS is what we can do with today's technology:

I noted three movies with rather spectacular practical VFX. Specifically, very convincing looking great apes played by actors in suits. To counter, you pulled two examples from the Miracles are Cheap school of filmmaking. Congratulations on completely missing the point, but since you mentioned it: Neither Caesar or Kong look appreciably better than Amy or Mighty Joe Young except for facial features.

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But in getting back to the subject at hand...

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While everybody was kvetching about the current state of affairs in Hollywoodland, principle filming quietly got underway on Yates' still as yet unnamed Tarzan film. We also have our very first synopsis:

Warner Bros. said:
It has been years since the man once known as Tarzan left the jungles of Africa behind for a gentrified life as John Clayton III, Lord Greystoke, with his beloved wife, Jane at his side. Now, he has been invited back to the Congo to serve as a trade emissary of Parliament, unaware that he is a pawn in a deadly convergence of greed and revenge, masterminded by the Belgian, Captain Leon Rom. But those behind the murderous plot have no idea what they are about to unleash

Filming is taking place around the UK and Warner's Leavesden studio. John Hurt has been added to the supporting cast, along with Laurence Spellman (The Invisible Woman), Lasco Atkins (Dracula Untold, and Rory J. Saper.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
I'm not much into health food. I am into champagne.

Le Saboteur said:
We also have our very first synopsis:

We also have the very first leaked images from the UK set featuring <S>Paul Freeman</S> Christoph Waltz, Casper Crump, and the impossibly attractive Margot Robbie as Jane Porter. Who appears to be sporting her natural(?) blonde locks. It's not a deal breaker by any measure, but I was hoping that she'd go brunette.

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The friendly neighborhood dumpster divers at the Daily Mail have the full set on their site. Before you go clicking through, it needs to be noted that the pictures are incredibly grainy as they aren't official releases. Still, the movie is full into production!

That reminds me: Our Dear Professor was wondering why trailers and other bits & bobs were okay, but not spoilers. The obvious answer is that you don't want every little surprise given away, but you do want to know what you're getting into. In this particular instance though, the look of the film is highly important. And in just these two images I think they've got the costumes and period weaponry correct. That's always a good sign. The next important thing is going to be how well Vampire Eric fits into Lord Greystoke's loincloth...

And for fun, an old essay from Gore Vidal.

Gore Vidal said:
There are so many things the people who take polls never get around to asking. Fascinated as we all are to know what our countrymen think of great issues (approving, disapproving, “don’t-knowing,” with that same shrewd intelligence which made a primeval wilderness bloom with Howard Johnson signs), the pollsters never get around to asking the sort of interesting personal questions our new-Athenians might be able to answer knowledgeably. For instance, how many adults have an adventure serial running in their heads? How many consciously daydream, turning on a story in which the dreamer ceases to be an employee of I.B.M. and becomes a handsome demigod moving through splendid palaces, saving maidens from monsters (or monsters from maidens: this is a jaded time). Most children tell themselves stories in which they figure as powerful figures, enjoying the pleasures not only of the adult world as they conceive it but of a world of wonders unlike dull reality. Although this sort of Mittyesque daydreaming is supposed to cease in maturity, I suggest that more adults than we suspect are bemusedly wandering about with a full Technicolor extravaganza going on in their heads. Clad in tights, rapier in hand, the daydreamers drive their Jaguars at fantastic speeds through a glittering world of adoring love objects, mingling anachronistic histories worlds with science fiction.
 

Stoo

Well-known member
Le Saboteur said:
Dinosaurs? Interesting, but not beyond the pale. I'd direct you to the eighth book in ERB's original cycle -- that would be Tarzan the Terrible -- but you would learn something you shouldn't know until you've read the first seven books. So, let's just say that dinosaurs are a well trod path. Very well trod.
O.K. I did not know that. Thanks for enlightening me!:hat: (Now that I think of it, the '70s Filmation cartoon series had him encoutering some prehistoric beasts once in awhile.)
Le Saboteur said:
Speaking of Congo, I sincerely hope they get the Stan Winston Studio to do real ape suits again. Amy was an absolute gem, and they only improved with the Burton Apes remake and Instinct. I can only imagine what they could do with today's technology.
Wholeheartedly agree, except that it was Rick Baker & his team who did Burton's "Apes". To add to your list, Baker also did "Greystoke" and "Gorillas in the Mist". Even so, Stan Winston's ape work was outstanding and I'd much prefer either of those crews to do suits rather than the CG route.
Le Saboteur said:
Re-posted for its sheer amazing-ness. My only quibble is that everything appears a bit too clean & fresh (riverboat included). This guy's kit could use some more weathering, dirt & moisture stains!

A quick look on the 'net reveals that this movie will have soldiers from the Belgian Force Publique!(y) This makes me even more stoked than before. It's going to a long wait for 2016.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Stoo said:
Wholeheartedly agree, except that it was Rick Baker & his team who did Burton's "Apes". To add to your list, Baker also did "Greystoke" and "Gorillas in the Mist".

You're correct on Baker's team doing the actual work on Burton's "Apes." To be completely pedantic though, Winston was attached to the project for years before getting replaced by Baker once cameras started to roll.

Lord Fatass had a [URL='http://www.aintitcool.com/node/7776"]brief look[/URL] at Winton's makeup tests... years ago.

Stoo said:
Even so, Stan Winston's ape work was outstanding and I'd much prefer either of those crews to do suits rather than the CG route.

Winston may not be with us anymore, but Master Ape Suit Performer, Tom Woodruff, Jr., is still around (and regularly working). So there's a chance that he could serve as a spiritual successor of sorts! Of course, we don't even know if apes will appear in the movie. Fingers crossed.

Stoo said:
Re-posted for its sheer amazing-ness. My only quibble is that everything appears a bit too clean & fresh (riverboat included). This guy's kit could use some more weathering, dirt & moisture stains!

Hopefully this is early in the adventure and things will take on a patina of age as filming progresses!

I was rewatching Tarzan and the Lost City recently. While it's not a good movie by any stretch, it's definitely not unwatchable. In fact, it got quite a few things right; things that I hope Yates' version capitalizes on. To start, Casper van Dien looked credible in role. Even while sporting the loin cloth and bow ensemble. Too many Lord Greystokes look too perfectly coiffed and beefcake-y.

Jane March's, well, Jane should have been more compelling, but the script was poorly fleshed out. Or, at least the version that appeared on screen.

Anyway, the biggest point in its favor: It was filmed on location in South Africa. You can do a lot with sets and digital flummery, but it is nigh impossible to recreate an actual jungle. Which is why I was hoping that there would be some on location shooting. You may not be able to film on the actual Congo, but I'm sure a happy medium could be found. I was disappointed to read that they're going to digitally impose a jungle on the riverboat seen (at least). So that's my early quibble.

Stoo said:
A quick look on the 'net reveals that this movie will have soldiers from the Belgian Force Publique!(y) This makes me even more stoked than before. It's going to a long wait for 2016.

I am aware of the force, but that's really about it. I really should finish reading King Leopold's Ghost. It will be interesting, however, if the movie touches on that aspect of the Congo's history.
 

Le Saboteur

Active member
Le Saboteur said:
Hopefully this is early in the adventure and things will take on a patina of age as filming progresses!

Now we wait... for nearly two years. Why? Because principle photography has wrapped according to this Facebook page. The logline mentions principle photography wrapped on 10/3/14, which would give the production the standard three months of shooting.

It's unfair, but I still can't shake the idea that this was a payoff for Yates. Warner Bros. greenlit his passion project after making the studio an obscene amount of money, and now he gets rushed to the set of Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them. Because the world is incomplete without a Harry Potter movie in the works.

So as previously mentioned, we wait. Official images and trailers will be forthcoming eventually.

For now though, here's an image of Tarzan's vine!

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