Our Top Story Tonight: Tarzan Adaptation Possibly Shut Down?

Tonight's top story is a bit of a sad one. Deadline broke the news this afternoon that their planned big budget version of the Tarzan legend has been shut down, at least temporarily, due to the film's relatively high budget. The film was to be directed by David Yates and star Alexander Skarsgard ("True Blood") as the titular character, with a supporting cast that included Jessica Chastain, Samuel L. Jackson and Jamie Foxx. The film might still happen- with Yates still in the director's chair- but not until next year at least.

I suppose this might be good news for audiences that don't want another reboot/sequel/reimagining out in theaters, but I do feel like this project could have been interesting, especially with all the talent that was involved.  I can't help but wonder if this news is a result of  Jack the Giant Slayer being a major disaster at the box office. Anyway, I wouldn't be surprised if Warner Bros. did decide to put the project back in development next year, as it certainly sounds like it could be a financial success. That being said, when will studios start taking into account the amount of money they spend on risky ventures? Spending $200 million on a big budget franchise sounds like a good idea. But projects like Jack the Giant Slayer costing $195 million is just ridiculous.

There wasn't too much news today, but you can check out a few interesting tidbits after the jump-

• Don Jon, Joseph Gordon Levitt's directorial debut and a film I am very interested in checking out, has set it's release date for October 18. The film stars Levitt as a womanizer with a porn addiction who attempts to become less selfish. The film premiered at Sundance to positive reviews and was picked up by Relativity. It also stars Scarlett Johansson, Julianne Moore and Tony Danza.
• Finally, a second trailer for the magician themed thriller Now You See Me appeared online. It's essentially a somewhat longer version of the first trailer, with just a bit more footage and a lot more CGI. The film looks good, if not a bit cheesy, and the cast is quite promising. Check it out in theaters on May 31

Sorry for the slow news days, hopefully there will be more tomorrow