Alexander Skarsgard was initially tapped by Warner Brothers to play the lead in their upcoming ‘Tarzan’ adaptation, which was set to be directed by Harry Potter director David Yates and green-lit by the end of 2012. However, the end of the year came and passed, and now we’re a good ways into 2013 with still no announcement. What does this mean? Either the Variety report was not exactly accurate; or the news wasn’t from the studio, instead being a strategically placed leak from Skarsgard’s team.
As LaineyGossip reports, this has started to happen more and more lately; actors think that they can scare off competition by preemptively announcing their involvement in a project that’s not yet confirmed. There’s no doubt that Skarsgard’s name was on the list of actors being considered, including Henry Cavill [Man of Steel], Charlie Hunnam [Pacific Rim], and Tom Hardy [The Dark Knight Rises], who are all on the verge of breaking out.
The Variety report also stated that WB was keen on setting the cast by the end of last year so that they could finalize David Yates’ contract for the film. It seems as if either WB lost interest, Skarsgard was never close to signing on in the first place, or Yates had a schedule clash/other commitments.
It’s starting to look like it might be a combination of all three, so what does this mean for Skarsgard’s involvement? Well, the Variety report did mention that ‘the studio is keen to be in business with Skarsgard’, which does seem like something his team would put out there, but could also be true. His fan base from ‘True Blood’ is pretty strong, but we’ve seen with ‘Straw Dogs’ that it’s not enough to carry over into films if the subject matter isn’t appealing enough. Tarzan is a big brand name, and even if the movie ends up being completely shitty [unlikely if Yates is involved], people will go to see it – including Skarsgard fans. The question is – are his fans enough for him to get cast in a studio franchise film against three other actors with their own franchises and better buzz? Or will he remain a solid but not ‘big’ name actor with good credits, strong connections, and resume littered with supporting parts?