Real talk: there’s been a ton of Disney live-action remakes. Given all the movies we’ve seen in recent years that have reimagined animated classics, we wouldn’t be surprised if every movie from the Disney Renaissance Era particularly gets a bingo blackout someday. We’ve seen The Lion King, Aladdin, Beauty and the Beast, Mulan be remade, with The Little Mermaid and Hercules on the way. What about 1999’s Tarzan next?
CinemaBlend recently spoke to Minnie Driver about her new movie Rosaline, now streaming with a Hulu subscription, which technically falls under the Disney label. During our conversation, I asked the actress about her thoughts about her Tarzan character, Jane Porter, finding a place in live-action one day. Here’s her response:
Oh, well I would love to see that. I love that character. Jane Porter is really very special and it was a collaboration. Very, very special. I wonder, I mean, I know they made Greystoke, right, with Andy McDowell with Glenn Close's voice over Andy McDowell. Like arguably that was live-action Tarzan, but it was another time. So maybe a modern version of that. Yes.
Minnie Driver is right, Tarzan has had the live-action treatment before. In fact, the character began in live-action as silent films back in 1918 with Elmo Lincoln’s portrayal. The character has swung through just about every medium, whether that be comics, the stage, radio and television over the years, but there’s an entire generation who particularly grew up on Disney’s animated version, which is arguably the most successful version of the ape man.
Could Disney one day thrust their vision, with talking gorillas, Phil Collins tunes and the infectious chemistry of Tarzan and Jane they created into live action? Driver would love to see it. As she shared with us, she still regards the character as “very special” to her and would be intrigued by a modern version of the story.
It’s been a few years since we’ve seen a Tarzan movie. The most recent adaptation was with 2016’s Warner Bros movie, The Legend of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgård, Margot Robbie and Samuel L. Jackson. Overall, the movie faced a mixed to negative reception, but CinemaBlend’s own review of The Legend of Tarzan awarded the movie a 3.5 out of 5.
It was recently announced that Sony is making a Tarzan movie and is looking to do a “total reinvention” of the character for the modern day. What will that entail? We don’t know quite yet, but depending on how it does, that could impact the chances we’ll see a live action Disney Tarzan movie. Of course Minnie Driver’s version of Jane Porter was unforgettable and perhaps it’s best that Disney not walk over her iconic performance.
Minnie Driver is hilarious as the nurse in Romeo and Juliet spin, Rosaline, which CinemaBlend reviewed alongside positive overall reception. You can stay up to date on all the upcoming Disney movies coming our way next here on CinemaBlend.
