The First Look at Tarzan Is Here: Why It's Going to Be a Great Live-Action Film

After a long and tantalizing wait for one of 2016's most awaited films, we're welcomed back to the jungle we'd almost forgotten.

John Clayton III, the Lord Greystoke, is years removed from his beloved home in the Congo jungle. He's been reintroduced to society as a British gentleman with his wife Jane by his side. The film's set in 1880s Victorian London, and Tarzan has been invited back to the Congo as a trade emissary by Parliament. It pretty much kicks off from there.

Watch the first official teaser trailer here:

USA Today released a sneak peek to the live-action film, and have I mentioned it will absolutely blow your mind away? I will certainly book my tickets early for this movie! Here are three reasons why The Legend of Tarzan will be one of the best live-action adaptations of 2016.

1. The man behind the last four 'Harry Potter' films is at the helm

Yep, you read that right. Though most of us have differing views of the last four movies in the Harry Potter series, personally, I think they were great. David Yates is at the helm of Tarzan, and one of the Potter collaborators, Stuart Craig, was also tapped to design The Legend of Tarzan sets.

There will also be a historical backdrop for the film, says Yates:

“Belgium's King Leopold II, originally thought of as a philanthropist, took the Congo as his own colony in the 1880s and was responsible for a mass genocide that killed millions.”

However, it won't be just about adventure and the jungle. Underneath, there's still a love story. The director said that:

“In a way, it’s a story of two human beings and how they save each other.”

2. Alexander Skarsgård and Margot Robbie

Need I say more? Little is known about how Margot Robbie prepared for the role of Jane Porter, although we do know Jane is not going to be just a damsel in distress here! She's just as capable as Tarzan, and according to Yates:

“[Jane is] in no way a passive partner to Tarzan. She’s a really strong, assertive, beautifully knowledgeable, very sexy modern woman who can more than look after herself."

But to really get into the gentleman back in the wild, ASkars spent four months getting that lean muscle buff and training with choreographer Wayne McGregor.

“He works mostly with the best contemporary ballet dancers in the world, so it was quite unusual for him to work with somebody like me who can’t touch their toes."

“I basically didn’t see my family or my friends, [the part] was definitely worth getting up at 4:30 in the morning.”

That's why we haven't seen much of the tall guy until this year's Sundance! Also joining them in the movie are Christoph Waltz as the evil Captain Rom, Djimon Hounsou as Chief Mbonga, and Samuel L. Jackson as George Washington Williams.

3. A twist to the much-loved tale

This year's Cinderella was an homage to the 1950s version, only with more of a sense of logic behind the all too instant romance. Will it be the same take on Tarzan? Nope. According to ASkars, it will be "almost the opposite of the classic tale."

“It’s almost the opposite of the classic tale, where it’s about taming the beast,”

“This is about a man who’s holding back and slowly as you peel off the layers, he reverts back to a more animalistic state and lets that side of his personality out.”

Expect lots of action, adventure, and apes. We're going back to Congo! If the first sneak peek of the movie didn't excite you, I don't know what will!

In the meantime, don't forget the 1999 film:

'The Legend of Tarzan' will swing into theaters on July 1, 2016.

Source: USAToday