'Tarzan' franchise rights acquired by Sony

WASHINGTON: Sony Pictures has acquired film rights to 'Tarzan' in a deal with the estate of original book author Edgar Rice Burroughs.

According to Deadline, there is no writer, director, or producer linked to the project, which would be a complete reimagining of the well-known character Burroughs first established in 1912; the author continued to write Tarzan stories into the 1940s.

The son of English royalty, Tarzan was abandoned there and later died. Tarzan was then reared by apes in the African forest. Before becoming 'King of the Apes,' he had no experience with Western civilization.

The earliest film adaption, Tarzan of the Apes, debuted in 1918, almost as old as Hollywood itself. Since then, the franchise has enjoyed lengthy runs on both the big and small screens, starring actors like Ron Ely and Olympian Jonny Weissmuller. It has also spawned numerous Broadway and radio adaptations in addition to a Disney animated film from 1999 and a popular Filmation animated series from the 1970s.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, the rights agreement is additionally intriguing because Tarzan is an IP that exists in both the public and private spheres.

The earlier tales are unquestionably in the public domain, but Burroughs continued to pen adventures well into the 1940s, with several tales finding publication well after his death in 1950.

Tarzan's trademark is owned by the estate. Alexander Skarsgard starred in Warners' The Legend of Tarzan, the most current big-screen adaptation, which came out in 2016. With global revenue of roughly $350 million, it broadened its focus to include the imperialist elements of the original IP.