‘Tarzan’ Reboot May Get Axed By Warner Bros.

Tarzan reboot hopes could be quickly fading as reports surfaced from Deadline on Wednesday that Warner Bros. had shuttered the production office and nixed plans for a 2013 start.

The website cited “inside sources” that claimed the company may be interested in revisiting the option next year, but for now, it’s looking pretty bleak.

Alexander Skarsgard was reportedly picked for the lead role with Zero Dark Thirty‘s Jessica Chastain favored in the part of Jane. Warner also seemed interested in Jamie Foxx as a third lead, according to the insider sources.

Director David Yates of Harry Potter fame had been tapped to lead the charge on the Tarzan reboot, and he could still get the job if Warner decides to revisit the project next year.

Budget concerns were cited as the culprit for Warner’s decision, though nothing official has been handed down from the company at this time.

We know what you’re thinking — budget concerns? How can a film that takes place in the jungle and follows a feral child raised by apes possibly go over budget?

It’s not like spaceships are flying around blowing things to bits, right? Well, if it can cost $215 million to make The Lone Ranger — and apparently it does, according to The Hollywood Reporter — it’s really not that much of a stretch.

Of course, there could be some hesitation regarding another bloated budget for an Edgar Rice Burroughs character.

The last time it happened (with John Carter), the performance was wholly underwhelming grossing just $73 million domestically on a $250 million budget, Box Office Mojo reported.

More on the disaster that almost was here:

The international take did hold up — thankfully for Disney — but it took $209 million to barely climb out of the red.

Still, Tarzan is a more instantly recognizable character, and with Skarsgard and Chastain game for the project, this film would have had tremendous appeal to male and female audiences.

Do you think Warner Bros. was wise to pull the plug on the Tarzan reboot?

[Image via Featureflash / Shutterstock.com]