The Darkest Version Of The Famous Tarzan Story Finds Redemption On Prime Video 10 Years After Box Office Disappointment

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Published Jan 31, 2026, 1:24 PM EST

Rianna is the Movie News Editor for ScreenRant. After earning her BA in Film Studies, she began her career as an entertainment writer, contributing to several publications before joining ScreenRant. Her dissertation on the impact of streaming on traditional cinema sharpened her focus on the ever-evolving world of film and media. With 6 years in the industry, Rianna continues to cover the stories she loves while also advocating for awareness and representation of rare disabilities, such as Moebius Syndrome, which she lives with.

Tarzan adaptations span over a century, and one of the darkest of them has now found redemption on streaming after being a big box office disappointment.

One of the more famous adaptations is Disney’s 1999 animated movie titled Tarzan, which featured a soundtrack by Phil Collins and won an Academy Award. The first was released in 1918, just four years after Edgar Rice Burroughs created the character Tarzan. The first movie was silent, and Elmo Lincoln portrayed the famous ape-man.

Tarzan fighting an ape in The Legend of Tarzan

2016’s The Legend of Tarzan, starring Alexander Skarsgård as Tarzan, is now finding success on Prime Video ten years after its release. It’s the most recent film adaptation based on Burroughs’ novels, and is considered a disappointment at the box office after grossing over $356 million worldwide.

The Tarzan adaptation was directed by David Yates, known for the Fantastic Beasts franchise, Pain Hustlers, and four of the Harry Potter movie adaptations. The Legend of Tarzan had mixed reviews, with critics rating the movie at 36% compared to the audience, with a 58% rating on Rotten Tomatoes.

The movie follows Jane (played by Margot Robbie) as she is abducted by Belgian envoy Leon Rom (Christoph Waltz) while investigating the government’s activities in the Congo. John Clayton (played by Skarsgård) must revert to his primitive ways and return as Tarzan to save his beloved wife. The Legend of Tarzan takes place after the events of the commonly known Disney adaptation if Tarzan left the jungle.

Skarsgård is known for his roles in Big Little Lies, True Blood, and The Northman. He has a few upcoming projects, including The Wolf Will Tear Your Immaculate Hands, The Rose, and The Tiger. He also recently appeared in Charli XCX’s latest movie, The Moment, as Johannes.

There have been rumors that Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson could star in a new live-action Tarzan movie, but it’s unclear when or if this movie will come to fruition. Disney has been on a roll of live-action remakes of their classic animations, but at the time of writing, there have been no updates on adapting the 1999 classic Tarzan movie.

The Legend of Tarzan is available to stream on Prime Video.