Djimon Hounsou Joins 'Tarzan'; Tim Roth Heads to 'Selma'; Rose Byrne Leads 'The Something'

* It's going to be a busy summer for Djimon Hounsou, who will be chasing after Chris Pratt's Star-Lord in Guardians of the Galaxy, while also voicing the villain in How to Train Your Dragon 2. And now he's taking on another franchise, joining David Yates' developing Tarzan film for Warner Bros. Hounsou will play Chief Mbonga in the film that has Alexander Skarsgard as the titular jungle hero. Margot Robbie, Samuel L. Jackson, and Christoph Waltz are also on board the film, which the studio hopes to have ready by July 1st 2016. [Deadline]

* Tim Roth (Reservoir Dogs) and Niecy Nash (Reno 911!) are joining Ava Duvernay's MLK biopic, Selma. Roth will play controversial pro-segregation politician George Wallace, while Nash is civil rights activist Richie Jean Jackson. David Oyelowo is set to play Martin Luther King Jr. during his time fighting for voting rights in 1965 Alabama, considered by many to be the height of the civil rights movement.

* With Neighbors a definite hit and earning Rose Byrne the praise she pretty much always deserves, the film's producers, which includes Seth Rogen's Point Grey Pictures, are eager to work with her again. Byrne is being sought to star in The Something, a Gravity-esque comedy about astronauts who get lost in space. This would be the directorial debut of Rodney Rothman, the former head writer for Late Show With David Letterman. [THR]

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Margot Robbie Takes 'Z for Zachariah' and is Jane in 'Tarzan' Reboot

She's already starred opposite Oscar-nominee Leonardo DiCaprio in The Wolf of Wall Street, and now Margot Robbie is about to kick it post-apocalyptic style with another awards contender, Chiwetel Ejiofor. The Wrap reports Robbie is in talks to join Craig Zobel's follow-up film, Z for Zachariah, an adaptation of Robert O'Brien's psychological thriller. Not only that, she's also in negotiations to play Jane in David Yates' big-budget Tarzan.

Z for Zachariah shoots first, with Robbie joining co-stars Chris Pine and Ejiofor in the Nissar Modi-scripted film about a girl who comes to believe she is the only human survivor of a nuclear event, but soon comes to realize she isn't alone. She would be taking the role that had previously gone to Amanda Seyfried, who dropped out when the film was delayed while Ejiofor made the 12 Years a Slave press rounds.

Warner Bros.' Tarzan reboot has their franchise guy David Yates (Harry Potter movies) at the helm with a script by Scott Beatty and Stephen Sommers. Alexander Skarsgard is the titular Edgar Rice Burroughs hero, with Samuel L. Jackson and Christoph Waltz co-starring. Robbie had been in contention for the Jane role with Emma Stone, but it appears the red-hot Robbie has won out, joining the film that takes place some time after the classic novels.

Robbie will next be seen opposite Will Smith in Focus.

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Christoph Waltz To Play 'Tarzan' Villain; Emma Stone, Margot Robbie Eyed for Jane

 Warner Bros. has apparently decided enough time has past since the last Edgar Rice Burroughs adaptation, the box office dud John Carter, and now it's time to get swinging on Tarzan again. The studio shut down production on Tarzan earlier this year, even though director David Yates (Harry Potter) had already lined up Alexander Skarsgard to wear the loincloth of the classic jungle hero. But now it's back on and they've already found someone to play his nemesis, perennial bad guy Christoph Waltz.

After playing heels in Inglourious Basterds, The Green Hornet, and The Three Musketeers, Waltz will again wear the black hat, playing a military figure who crosses Tarzan's path. Bleeding Cool expands on that a little, describing the character as "Captain Rom, a very formidable Belgian soldier who plans to trade Tarzan to Chief Mbonga, the owner of a diamond mine."  They also add that the story will begin after Tarzan has reacquainted himself with civilization, and the story eventually takes him back into the jungle.

Missing is any mention of Samuel L. Jackson, who was being targeted for the role of Civil War veteran George Washington Williams, an ally of Tarzan's. He may have moved on while the film was in limbo. The plan now is to fill the role of Tarzan's love, Jane, with Margot Robbie (The Wolf of Wall Street) and Emma Stone mentioned as possibilities even though no formal talks have begun.

A greenlight is expected to come in the next few weeks and assuming the cast falls into place, production on Tarzan should begin next year. Does that mean it will be part of the crowded 2015 line-up? I certainly hope not, if only so Tarzan has a better chance to succeed. [Variety]

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David Yates' 'Tarzan' gets shut down at Warner Bros.

There's no denying that Warner Bros. has set themselves up as the studio for big blockbusters and franchise films. It seems to be pretty much all they do nowadays. But at the same time, they've been extremely cautious in what gets green lit, recently canning attempted takes on Akira and Paradise Lost, largely over budgetary concerns. Now it appears they're doing it again, as Deadline reports that David Yates' Tarzan film has been shut down.

The Harry Potter director had lined up Alexander Skarsgard and Samuel L. Jackson to play the loinclothed hero and his Civil War veteran colleague, George Washington Williams. Last month Jessica Chastain began circling the female lead, and apparently Jamie Foxx was in contention for another part. That's a line-up that most studios would be willing to shell out the big bucks for, but apparently Warner Bros. was never comfortable with the budget, and attempts to reduce it failed. They've shut down the production office, leaving open the possibility of restarting things in 2014.

The studio also got cold feet over David Dobkin's Arthur & Lancelot, and it should be noted that they've never gone back and tried to jumpstart any of the recent films left in limbo.  What is surprising is that they've done this to Yates, who largely spearheaded the most successful franchise in their history. After losing a rumored $140M on Jack the Giant Slayer, they can hardly be blamed for being cautious.

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Jessica Chastain to play Jane in David Yates' 'Tarzan'?

It would have been pretty cool if Jessica Chastain had taken that role in Iron Man 3 she was offered, as it would have given us the chance to see the uber-talented actress in a blockbuster for once. I still think superhero movies will be a part of her future, and clearly directors still want her for their mainstream efforts. The latest to have their eye on her is Harry Potter director David Yates, as rumors have Chastain at the top of the list for his upcoming Tarzan film.

The always-questionable Page Six in the New York Post has the rumor, saying that Chastain may be the pick to play Jane in the film. She'd be joining Alexander Skarsgard as the vine-swinging hero, and possibly Samuel L. Jackson as George Washington Williams, a Civil War soldier looking to redeem himself for atrocities he committed during the fighting. Adam Cozad wrote the script, which follows John Clayton III's assimilation into society after living in the jungles, only to be tasked by Queen Victoria to investigate strange happenings in the Congo.

Chastain gets a ton of offers, and this could just be another one thrown on the pile. So we'll see if she actually signs on, and for that matter we're still waiting for confirmation on Skarsgard and Jackson. Nothing is quite certain about Tarzan at this point. What we do know is that Chastain will be filming Liv Ullmann's Miss Julie opposite Colin Farrell and Samantha Morton later this year.

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Alexander Skarsgard frontrunner for David Yates' 'Tarzan'; Samuel L. Jackson eyed

Exactly one week ago a shortlist emerged for David Yates' Tarzan, with Alexander Skarsgard, Henry Cavill, Tom Hardy, and more in the running to play the jungle-dwelling hero. And now just like that it appears they've found their man as Skarsgard is reported to be the frontrunner for the gig. Time to start brushing up on those vine swinging skills.

But that's not all, as Samuel L. Jackson is being targeted for the role of George Washington Williams, an ex-Civil War soldier turned mercenary looking to redeem himself for his part in killing Native Americans. The story from Adam Cozad will center on John Clayton III, aka Tarzan, who after being assimilated back into society is asked by Queen Victoria to investigate strange happenings in the Congo.

No deal is in place, and Yates still has to convince Warner Bros. Skarsgard is the perfect choice. But the studio knows the True Blood actor well at this point, as he's got the Viking flick The Vanguard in development, along with the low-budget thriller Hidden.

Expect Tarzan to get the greenlight soon and Skarsgard confirmed as production is being planned for next summer. [Variety]

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Tom Hardy, Charlie Hunnam, Alexander Skarsgard, and Henry Cavill eyed for David Yates' 'Tarzan'

After directing the last four Harry Potter movies to phenomenal success, David Yates has taken his sweet time deciding what to do next. That doesn't mean he's been sitting idly by, as he was once attached to direct Your Voice in My Head with Emma Watson, and has an Al Capone trilogy with Tom Hardy circling the title role. But after mulling his options, Yates has decided he wants to hit the jungle first, choosing a big screen version of Tarzan as his next project.


Yates began circling the job back in June, but at the time it was unclear what direction Warner Bros. was going to go in. Craig Brewer(Footloose) was, and presumably still is, developing a rival take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs character, but that version may now be dead and buried. The version Yates will take on features a script by Adam Cozad(Jack Ryan), and already names are starting to emerge as to who will get to wear the loincloth and swing from the trees. Henry Cavill, Charlie Hunnam(Pacific Rim), Tom Hardy, and Alexander Skarsgard(True Blood) are all reportedly being looked at for it, with no one really in the pole position at this stage. All four men have fairly close ties to the studio, but I think it's unlikely Cavill could handle another high-profile franchise after Man of Steel and possibly Justice League.

Tarzan would be a tough film to make relevant and cool, but if any one could do it Yates is one of those guys. Certainly it would have to be better than the most recent Burroughs adaptation, John Carter? [Vulture]

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