It has been 10 years since Alexander Skarsgård starred in a forgotten action movie based on one of literature’s most iconic characters. Skarsgård’s movie career has been up and down over the yearssicne his breakout on the HBO series True Blood, where he played vampire Eric Northman. He has been in some critically acclaimed art films like Melancholia and some big-budget box office bombs like Battleship. However, he has also had some success stories, including a role in Godzilla vs. Kong and a role in the HBO series Succession, where he earned two Primetime Emmy Awards. However, he also played a 114-year-old literature icon in another box office bomb.
According to FlixPatrol, the Alexander Skarsgård movie The Legend of Tarzan just hit Amazon Prime Video at the start of February, and it has immediately jumped into the Top 10 most-watched on the streaming service. It sits in the Top 10 alongside movies like Sinners, A Minecraft Movie, and Ready Player One, and shows like Fallout and The Night Manager. It also ranks sixth for just the movies alone.
The Legend of Tarzan Was a Disappointing Reboot for the Franchise
Image Courtesy of Warner Bros
When Warner Bros. released The Legend of Tarzan in 2016, the studio hoped it would be a new franchise for it to capitalize on. The film was based on Edgar Rice Burroughs character he created in a magazine story in 1912, with the first novel then published in 1914. Since that time, Burroughs and other authors have written 23 books in the main Tarzan series. The character then appeared in 40 movies, with The Legend of Tarzan being the last one.
This movie was supposed to start a new franchise for Tarzan, with Alexander Skarsgård in the lead role. The supporting cast included Margot Robbie as Jane, Christoph Waltz as the man sent to take control of the region for Belgium, and Samuel L. Jackson as an American who becomes an ally for Tarzan, and Djimon Hounsou as the leader of the leopard men.
The movie cost $180 million to make, directed by David Yates (the Harry Potter series). However, it only made $126.6 million in North America, so its $356 million worldwide take was still a loss for the studio. With a 36% Rotten Tomatoes score, the franchise ended with one movie. However, thanks to Prime Video, The Legend of Tarzan is getting a second life.
What do you think? Leave a comment below and join the conversation now in the ComicBook Forum!