Alexander Skarsgard Being Courted for TARZAN

We’ve been seeing reports of rumors that Alexander Skarsgard was being considered for the lead role in director David Yates’ Tarzan movie recently, but we didn’t ask him about it in our recent interview because, well, rumors are just rumors. Now Variety is reporting that he’s the frontrunner for the role and it’s looking like a distinct possibility that Alex will be swinging from vines in the near future.

Per Variety, Yates’ (director of the last four Harry Potter films) is keen to land Alex as the lead for the movie, although an official offer hasn’t been presented and the movie hasn’t actually been greenlit. However, sources indicate that Warner Bros. is expected to give the go-ahead to the project by the end of the year with filming to begin in Summer 2013. If Alex does end up headlining the project, he’ll play John Clayton III, aka Tarzan. The movie is set several years after he’s reassimilated into society when Queen Victoria requests that he return to the Congo to investigate nefarious doings. Tarzan enlists the help of an ex-mercenary named George Washington Williams to save the Congo from a warlord who controls a massive diamond mine. Samuel L. Jackson is being eyed to play Williams.

What do you think about Alex taking on the role of the former jungle dweller? For my part, I’d rather he play Tarzan than Christian Grey.