Queen of the Jungle! Jessica Chastain In Talks to Play Jane In New Tarzan Reboot

Fresh from her run in Broadway’s The Heiress, Jessica Chastain is already eyeing a new, high-flying movie role. The two-time Oscar nominee is in talks to star as Jane in a new film reboot of Tarzan, alongside True Blood’s Alexander Skarsgard as Tarzan, according to The New York Post. Rumors are swirling that Broadway alum Samuel L. Jackson could be playing George Washington Williams, an ex-mercenary who, with Tarzan’s help, saves the Congo from a dastardly warlord. The new film will be helmed by David Yates (who directed the final installments of the Harry Potter franchise). No shooting dates or official casting have been announced.

Tarzan first appeared in the 1914 novel Tarzan of the Apes, and in 25 additional sequels. Nearly 100 films have featured Tarzan, including Tarzan the Ape Man, Tarzan the Fearless, The New Adventures of Tarzan and Disney’s 1999 animated Tarzan film, which was adapted into a musical. Tarzan played at Broadway’s Richard Rogers Theatre from May 10, 2006 to July 8, 2007.

Chastain made her Broadway debut in The Heiress. She garnered Oscar nods for her performances in Zero Dark Thirty and The Help. Her additional film credits include The Tree of Life, Mama, Wilde Salome, Take Shelter and The Debt.

Jackson appeared on Broadway in The Mountaintop and The Piano Lesson. His film and TV credits include Django Unchained, Star Wars: Episode III – Revenge of the Sith, The Red Violin, Jackie Brown and Pulp Fiction, for which he earned an Academy Award nomination.