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{{short description|Animated film directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck}}
{{short description|Animated Disney film directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck}}
{{about|the film|the soundtrack|Tarzan (1999 soundtrack)|the video game|Tarzan (video game)|the franchise|Tarzan (franchise)}}
{{about|the film|the soundtrack|Tarzan (1999 soundtrack)|the video game|Tarzan (video game)|the franchise|Tarzan (franchise)}}
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{{Use American English|date=October 2024}}
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{{Infobox film
{{Infobox film
| name = Tarzan
| name = Tarzan
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| gross = $448.2 million<ref name="Mojo"/>
| gross = $448.2 million<ref name="Mojo"/>
}}
}}
'''''Tarzan''''' is a 1999 American animated [[coming-of-age film|coming-of-age]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Coming-of-Age Animated Disney Movies {{!}} WatchMojo.com |url=https://www.watchmojo.com/suggest/Top+10+Coming-of-Age+Animated+Disney+Movies |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=WatchMojo |language=en-US}}</ref> [[adventure film|adventure]] [[comedy-drama]] film produced by [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] and released by [[Walt Disney Pictures]]. It is based on the 1912 story ''[[Tarzan of the Apes]]'' by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], being the first animated major motion picture version of the story. The film was directed by [[Kevin Lima]] and [[Chris Buck]] (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by [[Bonnie Arnold]], from a screenplay by [[Tab Murphy]] and the writing team of [[Bob Tzudiker]] and [[Noni White]]. It stars the voices of [[Tony Goldwyn]] as the title character along with [[Minnie Driver]], [[Glenn Close]], [[Rosie O'Donnell]], [[Brian Blessed]], [[Lance Henriksen]], [[Wayne Knight]], and [[Nigel Hawthorne]].
'''''Tarzan''''' is a 1999 American animated [[coming-of-age film|coming-of-age]]<ref>{{Cite web |title=Top 10 Coming-of-Age Animated Disney Movies {{!}} WatchMojo.com |url=https://www.watchmojo.com/suggest/Top+10+Coming-of-Age+Animated+Disney+Movies |access-date=2024-04-04 |website=WatchMojo |language=en-US}}</ref> [[adventure film|adventure]] [[comedy-drama]] film produced by [[Walt Disney Feature Animation]] and released by [[Walt Disney Pictures]]. It is based on the 1912 story ''[[Tarzan of the Apes]]'' by [[Edgar Rice Burroughs]], being the first animated major motion picture version of the story. The film was directed by [[Kevin Lima]] and [[Chris Buck]] (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by [[Bonnie Arnold]], from a screenplay written by [[Tab Murphy]] and the writing team of [[Bob Tzudiker]] and [[Noni White]]. It stars the voices of [[Tony Goldwyn]] as the title character along with [[Minnie Driver]], [[Glenn Close]], [[Rosie O'Donnell]], [[Brian Blessed]], [[Lance Henriksen]], [[Wayne Knight]], and [[Nigel Hawthorne]].


Pre-production of ''Tarzan'' began in 1995, with Lima selected as director<ref>{{cite web|last=Fulton|first=Rick|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BACK+TO+BASICS%3A+DISNEY+FINALLY+MAKE+THE+APE+MAN+THE+KIND.-a060358245|title=Back to Basics: Disney Finally Makes the Ape Man the Kind|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|The Daily Record]]|via=TheFreeLibrary.com|date=September 17, 1999|access-date=November 8, 2015|archive-date=November 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118145052/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BACK+TO+BASICS%3A+DISNEY+FINALLY+MAKE+THE+APE+MAN+THE+KIND.-a060358245|url-status=live}}</ref> and Buck joining him the same year. Following Murphy's first draft, Tzudiker, White, [[David Reynolds (screenwriter)|Dave Reynolds]], and [[Jeffrey Stepakoff]] (the latter two of whom received additional screenplay credits in the final cut), were brought in to reconstruct the third act and add additional material to the screenplay. English recording artist [[Phil Collins]] was recruited to compose and record songs integrated with a score by [[Mark Mancina]]. Meanwhile, the production team embarked on a research trip to [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]] to study the gorillas. The animation of the film combines [[traditional animation|2D hand-drawn animation]] with the extensive use of [[computer-generated imagery]], and it was done in [[California]], [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], and [[Paris]], with the pioneering [[computer animation]] software system Deep Canvas being predominantly used to create three-dimensional backgrounds.
Pre-production of ''Tarzan'' began in 1995, with Lima selected as director<ref>{{cite web|last=Fulton|first=Rick|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BACK+TO+BASICS%3A+DISNEY+FINALLY+MAKE+THE+APE+MAN+THE+KIND.-a060358245|title=Back to Basics: Disney Finally Makes the Ape Man the Kind|work=[[Daily Record (Scotland)|The Daily Record]]|via=TheFreeLibrary.com|date=September 17, 1999|access-date=November 8, 2015|archive-date=November 18, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151118145052/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/BACK+TO+BASICS%3A+DISNEY+FINALLY+MAKE+THE+APE+MAN+THE+KIND.-a060358245|url-status=live}}</ref> and Buck joining him the same year. Following Murphy's first draft, Tzudiker, White, [[David Reynolds (screenwriter)|Dave Reynolds]], and [[Jeffrey Stepakoff]] (the latter two of whom received additional screenplay credits in the final cut), were brought in to reconstruct the third act and add additional material to the screenplay. English recording artist [[Phil Collins]] was recruited to compose and record songs integrated with a score by [[Mark Mancina]]. Meanwhile, the production team embarked on a research trip to [[Uganda]] and [[Kenya]] to study the gorillas. The animation of the film combines [[traditional animation|2D hand-drawn animation]] with the extensive use of [[computer-generated imagery]], and it was done in [[California]], [[Orlando, Florida|Orlando]], and [[Paris]], with the pioneering [[computer animation]] software system Deep Canvas being predominantly used to create three-dimensional backgrounds.
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==Plot==
==Plot==
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for films are 400 to 700 words only. -->
<!-- Per WP:FILMPLOT, plot summaries for films are 400 to 700 words only. -->
In the 1880s, a British couple and their infant son are shipwrecked in [[Equatorial Africa]]. The adults build a treehouse, but are killed by a leopard named [[Sabor (Tarzan)|Sabor]]. [[Kala (Tarzan)|Kala]], a local gorilla whose son was also killed by Sabor, finds the human infant and adopts him, naming him [[Tarzan]]. However, the gorilla troop leader [[Kerchak]] objects.
In the 1880s, a British couple and their infant son are shipwrecked in [[Equatorial Africa]]. The adults build a treehouse, but are killed by a leopard named [[Sabor (Tarzan)|Sabor]]. [[Kala (Tarzan)|Kala]], a local gorilla whose son was also killed by Sabor, finds the human infant and adopts him, naming him [[Tarzan]].


As he grows, Tarzan begins to befriend other animals, including Kala's niece Terk and the paranoid elephant [[Tantor]]. Tarzan finds himself treated differently because of his different physique, so he makes valiant efforts to improve himself. Several years later, an adult Tarzan rescues the gorillas by spearing Sabor, gaining Kerchak's reluctant approval.
As a child, Tarzan befriends Kala's niece Terk and the paranoid elephant [[Tantor]]. Because of his different appearance and unorthodox behaviors, Tarzan finds himself treated differently by the other gorillas, and by [[Kerchak]], the troop's leader and Kala's mate. Tarzan makes valiant efforts to improve himself as he grows; several years later, Sabor attacks the gorillas, but Tarzan kills the leopard, gaining Kerchak's reluctant respect.


Meanwhile, a team of English human explorers, consisting of Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, his daughter [[Jane Porter (Tarzan)|Jane]], and their hunter escort [[William Cecil Clayton]], arrive on the island to study the gorillas. Jane accidentally becomes separated from the group and is chased by a baboon troop, until a curious Tarzan rescues her. After comparing her to himself, he realizes their similarities. Jane leads Tarzan back to their camp, where Porter and Clayton both take interest in him; the former in terms of scientific progress, while the latter hopes to have Tarzan lead the group to the gorillas. Despite Kerchak's warnings to avoid the strangers, Tarzan repeatedly returns to the camp. Porter, Clayton, and Jane teach him how to speak English properly, and tell him what the human world is like. Tarzan and Jane begin a romantic relationship; however, she has difficulty convincing Tarzan to lead the humans to the gorillas, as Tarzan fears Kerchak's fury.
Meanwhile, British explorer Archimedes Q. Porter, his daughter [[Jane Porter (Tarzan)|Jane]], and their hunter escort [[William Cecil Clayton]] arrive in Africa to study the gorillas. Jane accidentally becomes separated from the others and is chased by baboons, until a curious Tarzan rescues her. After comparing her to himself, he realizes they are the same species. Jane leads Tarzan back to their camp, where Porter and Clayton both take interest in him; the former in terms of scientific progress, while the latter hopes to have Tarzan lead the group to the gorillas. Despite Kerchak's warnings to avoid the strangers, Tarzan repeatedly returns to the camp. The Porters and Clayton teach him how to speak English properly, and tell him what the human world is like. Tarzan and Jane begin a romantic relationship; however, she has difficulty convincing Tarzan to lead the humans to the gorillas, as Tarzan fears Kerchak's fury.


With the explorers' ship returning to retrieve them, Jane asks Tarzan to return with them to England, but Tarzan, in turn, asks Jane to stay with him when Jane says it is unlikely that they will ever return. Clayton convinces Tarzan to lead the humans to the gorillas in exchange for Jane staying with him forever. Tarzan persuades Terk and Tantor to lure Kerchak away, and leads the trio to the nesting grounds. Porter and Jane are excited to mingle with the gorillas, but Kerchak returns to attack the humans. Tarzan restrains Kerchak while the humans escape, disappointing Kerchak. Taking Tarzan to the treehouse where she found him, Kala reveals his heritage and says she wants him to be happy whatever he decides.
As the explorers' ship returns to retrieve them, Jane asks Tarzan to travel to England with her; however, when she says it is unlikely they will return to Africa, Tarzan tries persuading Jane to stay with him instead. Clayton tricks Tarzan into believing Jane will stay in Africa in exchange for her seeing the gorillas. Tarzan persuades Terk and Tantor to lure Kerchak away, and leads the trio to the nesting grounds. The Porters are excitedly to mingle with the gorillas, but Kerchak returns to attack the humans. Tarzan restrains Kerchak while the humans escape, disappointing Kerchak. Taking Tarzan to the treehouse where she found him, Kala reveals his heritage and says she wants him to be happy whatever he decides.


In the morning, Tarzan boards the ship, accompanied by Jane and Porter, but the three are ambushed by Clayton and his traitorous band of stowaway thugs. Now aware of the location of the nesting grounds, Clayton plans to capture and sell the gorillas for a fortune, and imprisons Tarzan, Jane, and Porter to prevent them from interfering. Tarzan escapes with the help of Terk and Tantor, and he rallies the other animals to help the gorillas fight the thugs. Clayton mortally wounds Kerchak and fights Tarzan through the rainforest canopy, but inadvertently hangs himself on a vine. Before Kerchak dies, he finally accepts Tarzan as his son and names him the gorilla troop's leader.
In the morning, Tarzan boards the ship, accompanied by the Porters, but Clayton and his traitorous group of stowaway thugs ambush the trio. Now aware of the location of the nesting grounds, Clayton plans to capture and sell the gorillas for a fortune, and imprisons Tarzan and the Porters to prevent their interference. Tarzan escapes with the help of Terk and Tantor, and he rallies the other animals to help the gorillas fight Clayton's thugs. Clayton fatally wounds Kerchak and enters the [[canopy (biology)|rainforest canopy]] to fight Tarzan, but inadvertently falls and hangs himself on a vine. Before Kerchak dies, he finally accepts Tarzan as his son and names him the gorilla troop's leader.


The next day, Porter and Jane prepare to leave on the ship, while Tarzan stays behind with the gorillas. As the ship's rowboat leaves shore, Porter encourages his daughter to stay with the man she loves, and Jane jumps overboard, followed soon after by her father. The Porters reunite with Tarzan and his family, and embark on their new life together.
The next day, the Porters prepare to leave on the ship, while Tarzan stays behind with the gorillas. As the ship's rowboat leaves shore, Porter encourages his daughter to stay with the man she loves, and Jane jumps overboard, followed soon after by her father. The Porters reunite with Tarzan and his family, and embark on their new life together.


==Voice cast==
==Voice cast==
<!--In order of end credits-->
<!--Cast list as shown in order of end credits.-->
* [[Tony Goldwyn]] as [[Tarzan#Tarzan in other media|Tarzan]], a 20-year-old man raised by gorillas who finds his human roots. [[Glen Keane]] served as the supervising animator for Tarzan as an adult, while John Ripa animated Tarzan as an infant and a 6-year-old child. John Ripa studied the movements of young chimpanzees to use for young Tarzan's animation, while Glen Keane used movements of a gibbon and used it for the animation of adult Tarzan. Keane also watched his son Max Keane skateboarding and snowboarding and referenced surfers' movements to animate the scenes where Tarzan slides across tree branches.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=53}} [[Brendan Fraser]] auditioned twice for the title character before portraying the lead role in ''[[George of the Jungle (film)|George of the Jungle]]'' (1997).<ref name="tarzanyell">{{cite news|title='Tarzan' Yell|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-16-9906160335-story.html|url-access=limited|work=[[Knight-Ridder]]|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|last=Lawson|first=Terry|archive-date=June 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623035340/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-16-9906160335-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tony Goldwyn]] auditioned for the title role as well, and according to co-director Kevin Lima, Goldwyn landed it because of "the animal sense" in his readings, along with some "killer baboon imitations".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Summer Movie Preview: June, 1999|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/30/summer-movie-preview-june-1999|first=Rebecca|last=Ascher-Walsh|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=April 30, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412082600/http://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/30/summer-movie-preview-june-1999|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Tony Goldwyn]] as Tarzan, a 20-year-old man raised by gorillas who finds his human roots. [[Glen Keane]] served as the supervising animator for Tarzan as an adult, while John Ripa animated Tarzan as an infant and a 6-year-old child. John Ripa studied the movements of young chimpanzees to use for young Tarzan's animation, while Glen Keane used movements of a gibbon and used it for the animation of adult Tarzan. Keane also watched his son Max Keane skateboarding and snowboarding and referenced surfers' movements to animate the scenes where Tarzan slides across tree branches.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=53}} [[Brendan Fraser]] auditioned twice for the title character before portraying the lead role in ''[[George of the Jungle (film)|George of the Jungle]]'' (1997).<ref name="tarzanyell">{{cite news|title='Tarzan' Yell|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-16-9906160335-story.html|url-access=limited|work=[[Knight-Ridder]]|publisher=Chicago Tribune|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|last=Lawson|first=Terry|archive-date=June 23, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210623035340/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-16-9906160335-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Tony Goldwyn]] auditioned for the title role as well, and according to co-director Kevin Lima, Goldwyn landed it because of "the animal sense" in his readings, along with some "killer baboon imitations".<ref>{{cite magazine|title=Summer Movie Preview: June, 1999|url=https://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/30/summer-movie-preview-june-1999|first=Rebecca|last=Ascher-Walsh|magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]]|date=April 30, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=April 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160412082600/http://www.ew.com/article/1999/04/30/summer-movie-preview-june-1999|url-status=live}}</ref>
:*[[Alex D. Linz]] as young Tarzan
**[[Alex D. Linz]] as young Tarzan
* [[Minnie Driver]] as [[Jane Porter (Tarzan)#In other media|Jane Porter]], the eccentric, feisty, benevolent, and intelligent daughter of Professor Porter. She is the first of the group to encounter Tarzan and becomes his love interest. Ken Duncan served as the supervising animator for Jane. Many of Driver's mannerisms and characteristics were incorporated into Jane's animation. The scene where Jane describes meeting Tarzan for the first time to her father and Clayton was improvised by Driver, resulting in Duncan animating one of the longest animated scenes on record. The scene took 7 weeks to animate and 73 feet of film.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=83}}
* [[Minnie Driver]] as Jane Porter, the eccentric, feisty, benevolent, and intelligent daughter of Professor Porter. She is the first of the group to encounter Tarzan and becomes his love interest. Ken Duncan served as the supervising animator for Jane. Many of Driver's mannerisms and characteristics were incorporated into Jane's animation. The scene where Jane describes meeting Tarzan for the first time to her father and Clayton was improvised by Driver, resulting in Duncan animating one of the longest animated scenes on record. The scene took 7 weeks to animate and 73 feet of film.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=83}}
* [[Glenn Close]] as [[Kala (Tarzan)#Other versions|Kala]], Tarzan's adoptive mother, who found and raised him after losing her biological son to Sabor. She is also Kerchak's mate. [[Russ Edmonds]] served as the supervising animator for Kala.
* [[Glenn Close]] as Kala, Tarzan's adoptive mother, who found and raised him after losing her biological son to Sabor. She is also Kerchak's mate. [[Russ Edmonds]] served as the supervising animator for Kala.
* [[Rosie O'Donnell]] as Terk (short for Terkina, a feminization of Terkoz merged with Teeka), Tarzan's best friend, a wisecracking gorilla. She is also Kala and Kerchak's niece, making her and Tarzan adoptive cousins. Michael Surrey served as the supervising animator for Terk. The character was originally written as a male gorilla, but after O'Donnell's audition, Terk was re-characterized as a female.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hischak|first=Thomas|year=2011|title=Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&q=rosie+o%27donnell+tarzan+audition&pg=PA158|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]]|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|page=148|isbn=978-0-7864-6271-1|access-date=September 11, 2015|via=[[Google Books]]|archive-date=April 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406220128/https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&q=rosie+o%27donnell+tarzan+audition&pg=PA158|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to changing Terk to a female [[Chris Rock]] was offered the role, but turned it down.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mell |first=Eila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1SqXAAAAQBAJ&q=chris+rock&pg=PA235 |title=Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others |date=2015-01-24 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0976-8 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Rosie O'Donnell]] as Terk (short for Terkina, a feminization of Terkoz merged with Teeka), Tarzan's best friend, a wisecracking gorilla. She is also Kala and Kerchak's niece, making her and Tarzan adoptive cousins. Michael Surrey served as the supervising animator for Terk. The character was originally written as a male gorilla, but after O'Donnell's audition, Terk was re-characterized as a female.<ref>{{cite book|last=Hischak|first=Thomas|year=2011|title=Disney Voice Actors: A Biographical Dictionary|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&q=rosie+o%27donnell+tarzan+audition&pg=PA158|location=[[Jefferson, North Carolina]]|publisher=[[McFarland & Company]]|page=148|isbn=978-0-7864-6271-1|access-date=September 11, 2015|via=[[Google Books]]|archive-date=April 6, 2023|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20230406220128/https://books.google.com/books?id=e1RTP8thtR0C&q=rosie+o%27donnell+tarzan+audition&pg=PA158|url-status=live}}</ref> Prior to changing Terk to a female [[Chris Rock]] was offered the role, but turned it down.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Mell |first=Eila |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1SqXAAAAQBAJ&q=chris+rock&pg=PA235 |title=Casting Might-Have-Beens: A Film by Film Directory of Actors Considered for Roles Given to Others |date=2015-01-24 |publisher=McFarland |isbn=978-1-4766-0976-8 |language=en}}</ref>
* [[Brian Blessed]] as [[William Cecil Clayton#In other media|William Cecil Clayton]], an intelligent and suave yet arrogant and treacherous hunter, who assists the Porters on their quest. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Clayton, basing his design on [[Clark Gable]] and other film stars of the 1930s and 40s. Blessed also provided the iconic [[Tarzan yell]] for the title character.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=91}}
* [[Brian Blessed]] as William Cecil Clayton, an intelligent and suave yet arrogant and treacherous hunter, who assists the Porters on their quest. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Clayton, basing his design on [[Clark Gable]] and other film stars of the 1930s and 40s. Blessed also provided the iconic [[Tarzan yell]] for the title character.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=91}}
* [[Nigel Hawthorne]] as Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, an eccentric, short-statured scientist and Jane's father. Dave Burgess served as the supervising animator for Porter. This was one of Hawthorne's two final acting roles before his death in 2001. This is also the second Disney film Nigel starred in following his performance in the earlier Disney film [[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]].
* [[Nigel Hawthorne]] as Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, an eccentric, short-statured scientist and Jane's father. Dave Burgess served as the supervising animator for Porter. This was one of Hawthorne's two final acting roles before his death in 2001. This is also the second Disney film Nigel starred in following his performance in the earlier Disney film ''[[The Black Cauldron (film)|The Black Cauldron]]'' (1985).
* [[Lance Henriksen]] as [[Kerchak#Disney version|Kerchak]], Kala's mate and Tarzan's reluctant adoptive father, a silverback and leader of the gorilla troop, who struggles to accept Tarzan since he is a human. [[Bruce W. Smith]] served as the supervising animator for Kerchak.
* [[Lance Henriksen]] as Kerchak, Kala's mate and Tarzan's reluctant adoptive father, a silverback and leader of the gorilla troop, who struggles to accept Tarzan since he is a human. [[Bruce W. Smith]] served as the supervising animator for Kerchak.
* [[Wayne Knight]] as [[Tantor#Tantor in other media|Tantor]], a paranoid and submissive elephant, and Tarzan and Terk's close friend. [[Sergio Pablos]] served as the supervising animator for Tantor. [[Woody Allen]] was initially cast as Tantor, but [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] persuaded Allen to leave the project and join [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]]' ''[[Antz]]'' (1998).<ref name="WoodyAllen">{{cite web|title=Would Woody Allen have been a better fit for LeFou in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"?|last=Hill|first=Jim|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/57e4499ae4b09f67131e3f40?timestamp=1474582581075|work=The Huffington Post|date=September 22, 2016|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-date=October 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012152342/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/57e4499ae4b09f67131e3f40?timestamp=1474582581075|url-status=live}}</ref>
* [[Wayne Knight]] as Tantor, a paranoid and submissive elephant, and Tarzan and Terk's close friend. [[Sergio Pablos]] served as the supervising animator for Tantor. [[Woody Allen]] was initially cast as Tantor, but [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]] persuaded Allen to leave the project and join [[DreamWorks Pictures|DreamWorks]]' ''[[Antz]]'' (1998).<ref name="WoodyAllen">{{cite web|title=Would Woody Allen have been a better fit for LeFou in Disney's "Beauty and the Beast"?|last=Hill|first=Jim|url=https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/57e4499ae4b09f67131e3f40?timestamp=1474582581075|work=The Huffington Post|date=September 22, 2016|access-date=October 11, 2016|archive-date=October 12, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161012152342/https://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/57e4499ae4b09f67131e3f40?timestamp=1474582581075|url-status=live}}</ref>
:*Taylor Dempsey as young Tantor.
**Taylor Dempsey as young Tantor.
* [[Charlie Adler]], [[Jack Angel]], [[Bob Bergen]], [[Rodger Bumpass]], [[Corey Burton]], [[Jim Cummings]], [[Marshall Efron]], [[Paul Eiding]], [[Michael Gough]], [[Blake Griffin]], [[Patrick Pinney]], [[Phil Proctor]], [[Ian Redford (actor)|Ian Redford]], and [[Fred Tatasciore]] as Clayton's Men


==Production==
==Production==
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Disney's ''Tarzan'' was the first Tarzan film to be animated.<ref>{{cite web|last=Whipp|first=Glenn|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WITH+%60TARZAN,'+IT'S+A+DISNEY+JUNGLE+OUT+THERE.-a083614442|title=With Tarzan, It's A Disney Jungle Out There|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407132030/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WITH+%60TARZAN,'+IT'S+A+DISNEY+JUNGLE+OUT+THERE.-a083614442|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 29, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2014|work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|via=TheFreeLibrary.com|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Thomas Schumacher]], then-president of [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]], expressed surprise there hadn't been any previous attempts to animate a ''Tarzan'' film, saying, "Here is a book that cries out to be animated. Yet we're the first filmmakers to have ever taken Tarzan from page to screen and presented the character as Burroughs intended." He noted that in animated form, Tarzan can connect to the animals on a deeper level than he can in live-action versions.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=19}}
Disney's ''Tarzan'' was the first Tarzan film to be animated.<ref>{{cite web|last=Whipp|first=Glenn|url=http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WITH+%60TARZAN,'+IT'S+A+DISNEY+JUNGLE+OUT+THERE.-a083614442|title=With Tarzan, It's A Disney Jungle Out There|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140407132030/http://www.thefreelibrary.com/WITH+%60TARZAN,'+IT'S+A+DISNEY+JUNGLE+OUT+THERE.-a083614442|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 29, 2014|archive-date=April 7, 2014|work=[[Los Angeles Daily News]]|via=TheFreeLibrary.com|url-status=dead}}</ref> [[Thomas Schumacher]], then-president of [[Walt Disney Animation Studios|Walt Disney Feature Animation]], expressed surprise there hadn't been any previous attempts to animate a ''Tarzan'' film, saying, "Here is a book that cries out to be animated. Yet we're the first filmmakers to have ever taken Tarzan from page to screen and presented the character as Burroughs intended." He noted that in animated form, Tarzan can connect to the animals on a deeper level than he can in live-action versions.{{sfn|Green|1999|p=19}}


In 1994, when ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'' (1995) was nearly finished, [[Kevin Lima]] was approached to direct ''Tarzan'' by then-studio chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]]. He had desired to have the film animated through the [[Disney Television Animation]] division with a new animation studio established in [[Canada]]. Lima was reluctant to the idea because of the animation complexities being done by inexperienced animators. Following Katzenberg's resignation from the [[Walt Disney Company]], Lima was again contacted about the project by [[Michael Eisner]], who decided to have the film produced through the Feature Animation division, by which Lima signed on.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Noyer|first=Jérémie|title=Get Enchanted! Chapter Six: Director Kevin Lima and exec producer Chris Chase|url=http://animatedviews.com/2008/enchanted-interviews-chapter-six-kevin-lima-and-chris-chase/|website=Animated Views|date=March 21, 2008|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924231045/http://animatedviews.com/2008/enchanted-interviews-chapter-six-kevin-lima-and-chris-chase/|url-status=live}}</ref> On June 14, 1998, [[Kevin Lima]] and [[Chris Buck]] would be on board to direct the prototype of the film ''Tarzan''.
In 1994, when ''[[A Goofy Movie]]'' (1995) was nearly finished, [[Kevin Lima]] was approached to direct ''Tarzan'' by then-studio chairman [[Jeffrey Katzenberg]]. He had desired to have the film animated through the [[Disney Television Animation]] division with a new animation studio established in [[Canada]]. Lima was reluctant to the idea because of the animation complexities being done by inexperienced animators. Following Katzenberg's resignation from the [[Walt Disney Company]], Lima was again contacted about the project by [[Michael Eisner]], who decided to have the film produced through the Feature Animation division, by which Lima signed on.<ref>{{cite interview|last=Noyer|first=Jérémie|title=Get Enchanted! Chapter Six: Director Kevin Lima and exec producer Chris Chase|url=http://animatedviews.com/2008/enchanted-interviews-chapter-six-kevin-lima-and-chris-chase/|website=Animated Views|date=March 21, 2008|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=September 24, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150924231045/http://animatedviews.com/2008/enchanted-interviews-chapter-six-kevin-lima-and-chris-chase/|url-status=live}}</ref>


Following this, Lima decided to read ''Tarzan of the Apes'' where he began to visualize the theme of two hands being held up against each other.{{sfn|Green|1999|pp=17–18}} That image became an important symbol of the relationships between characters in the film, and a metaphor of Tarzan's search for identity. "I was looking for something that would underscore Tarzan's sense of being alike, yet different from his ape family", Lima said, "The image of touching hands was first conceived as an idea for how Tarzan realizes he and Jane are physically the same."{{sfn|Green|1999|pp=17–18}}
Following this, Lima decided to read ''Tarzan of the Apes'' where he began to visualize the theme of two hands being held up against each other.{{sfn|Green|1999|pp=17–18}} That image became an important symbol of the relationships between characters in the film, and a metaphor of Tarzan's search for identity. "I was looking for something that would underscore Tarzan's sense of being alike, yet different from his ape family", Lima said, "The image of touching hands was first conceived as an idea for how Tarzan realizes he and Jane are physically the same."{{sfn|Green|1999|pp=17–18}}
Line 128: Line 130:


==Release==
==Release==
On June 12, 1999, the film premiered at the [[El Capitan Theater]] with the cast and filmmakers as attendees followed by a forty-minute concert with Phil Collins performing songs from the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-15-cl-46544-story.html|title=It's a Jungle Out There for 'Tarzan's' Debut|last=Quintanilla|first=Michael|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 15, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216195109/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-15-cl-46544-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 23, 1999, Disney launched a [[Digital cinema|digital projection]] release of ''Tarzan'' released only in three theatrical venues including [[Walt Disney World]]'s [[Pleasure Island (Walt Disney World)|Pleasure Island]] multiplex for three weeks. Although ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' and ''[[An Ideal Husband (1999 film)|An Ideal Husband]]'' had been given earlier digital projection releases despite being shot on [[photographic film]], ''Tarzan'' was notable for being the first major feature release to have been produced, mastered, and projected digitally.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Mark|title=Disney goes digital|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/disney-goes-digital-1117743035/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222155626/http://variety.com/1999/film/news/disney-goes-digital-1117743035/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Tarzan' Making Digital Run|url=http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-07-17/business/9907160663_1_digital-run-walt-disney-tarzan|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=July 17, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093342/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-07-17/business/9907160663_1_digital-run-walt-disney-tarzan|url-status=live}}</ref>
On June 12, 1999, the film premiered at the [[El Capitan Theater]] with the cast and filmmakers as attendees followed by a forty-minute concert with Phil Collins performing songs from the film.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-15-cl-46544-story.html|title=It's a Jungle Out There for 'Tarzan's' Debut|last=Quintanilla|first=Michael|newspaper=[[Los Angeles Times]]|date=June 15, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216195109/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-15-cl-46544-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> On July 23, 1999, Disney launched a [[Digital cinema|digital projection]] release of ''Tarzan'' released only in three theatrical venues including [[Walt Disney World]]'s [[Pleasure Island (Walt Disney World)|Pleasure Island]] multiplex for three weeks. Although ''[[Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace]]'' and ''[[An Ideal Husband (1999 film)|An Ideal Husband]]'' had been given earlier digital projection releases despite being shot on [[photographic film]], ''Tarzan'' was notable for being the first major feature release to have been produced, mastered, and projected digitally.<ref>{{cite news|last=Graser|first=Mark|title=Disney goes digital|url=https://variety.com/1999/film/news/disney-goes-digital-1117743035/|work=[[Variety (magazine)|Variety]]|date=July 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222155626/http://variety.com/1999/film/news/disney-goes-digital-1117743035/|url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title='Tarzan' Making Digital Run|url=https://www.orlandosentinel.com/1999/07/17/tarzan-making-digital-run/|newspaper=[[Orlando Sentinel]]|date=July 17, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 22, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151222093342/http://articles.orlandosentinel.com/1999-07-17/business/9907160663_1_digital-run-walt-disney-tarzan|url-status=live}}</ref>


===Marketing===
===Marketing===
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[[Lisa Schwarzbaum]], who graded the film an A−, applauded the film as "a thrilling saga about a natural man, untainted by the complications of 'civilized' life, who can anticipate changes in the air by sniffing the wind — swings because the Disney team, having sniffed the wind, went out on a limb and kept things simple".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/06/25/tarzan-5/|title=KING OF SWING "Tarzan" is a winner|last=Schwarzbaum|first=Lisa|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=June 25, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209105933/http://ew.com/article/1999/06/25/tarzan-5/|url-status=live}}</ref> Peter Stack of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' admired the film for tackling "meanings of family relationships and ideas about society, guardianship and compassion" and "cunning and greed and the ultimate evil", as well as remaining faithful to Burroughs's original novel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/THE-JUNGLE-KING-Disney-works-its-magic-with-2925547.php|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=THE JUNGLE KING / Disney works its magic with story-telling and animation in 'Tarzan'|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909133303/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/THE-JUNGLE-KING-Disney-works-its-magic-with-2925547.php|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]] of ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the "story unfolds with dangers as well as warm humor; a jungle jam session called 'Trashin' the Camp' is especially hard to resist. We may have seen it all before, but when it's done up like this, experiencing it all over again is a pleasure."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-16-ca-46893-story.html|title=Vine, Woman and Song|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216195103/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-16-ca-46893-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]], reviewing for ''[[The New York Times]]'', similarly opined that "''Tarzan'' initially looks and sounds like more of the same, to the point where Phil Collins is singing the words 'trust your heart' by the third line of his opening song. But it proves to be one of the more exotic blooms in the Disney hothouse, what with voluptuous flora, hordes of fauna, charming characters and excitingly kinetic animation that gracefully incorporates computer-generated motion."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/film/061899tarzan-film-review.html|title='Tarzan': Monkey Business -- Rewriting the Jungle Book|last=Maslin|first=Janet|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=January 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128073045/http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/061899tarzan-film-review.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
[[Lisa Schwarzbaum]], who graded the film an A−, applauded the film as "a thrilling saga about a natural man, untainted by the complications of 'civilized' life, who can anticipate changes in the air by sniffing the wind — swings because the Disney team, having sniffed the wind, went out on a limb and kept things simple".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://ew.com/article/1999/06/25/tarzan-5/|title=KING OF SWING "Tarzan" is a winner|last=Schwarzbaum|first=Lisa|magazine=Entertainment Weekly|date=June 25, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=December 9, 2017|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171209105933/http://ew.com/article/1999/06/25/tarzan-5/|url-status=live}}</ref> Peter Stack of the ''[[San Francisco Chronicle]]'' admired the film for tackling "meanings of family relationships and ideas about society, guardianship and compassion" and "cunning and greed and the ultimate evil", as well as remaining faithful to Burroughs's original novel.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/THE-JUNGLE-KING-Disney-works-its-magic-with-2925547.php|last=Stack|first=Peter|title=THE JUNGLE KING / Disney works its magic with story-telling and animation in 'Tarzan'|newspaper=San Francisco Chronicle|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=September 9, 2015|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20150909133303/http://www.sfgate.com/movies/article/THE-JUNGLE-KING-Disney-works-its-magic-with-2925547.php|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Kenneth Turan]] of ''Los Angeles Times'' wrote that the "story unfolds with dangers as well as warm humor; a jungle jam session called 'Trashin' the Camp' is especially hard to resist. We may have seen it all before, but when it's done up like this, experiencing it all over again is a pleasure."<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-16-ca-46893-story.html|title=Vine, Woman and Song|last=Turan|first=Kenneth|newspaper=Los Angeles Times|date=June 16, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=February 16, 2022|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20220216195103/https://www.latimes.com/archives/la-xpm-1999-jun-16-ca-46893-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref> [[Janet Maslin]], reviewing for ''[[The New York Times]]'', similarly opined that "''Tarzan'' initially looks and sounds like more of the same, to the point where Phil Collins is singing the words 'trust your heart' by the third line of his opening song. But it proves to be one of the more exotic blooms in the Disney hothouse, what with voluptuous flora, hordes of fauna, charming characters and excitingly kinetic animation that gracefully incorporates computer-generated motion."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/library/film/061899tarzan-film-review.html|title='Tarzan': Monkey Business -- Rewriting the Jungle Book|last=Maslin|first=Janet|newspaper=The New York Times|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|archive-date=January 28, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160128073045/http://www.nytimes.com/library/film/061899tarzan-film-review.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


The ''[[Radio Times]]'' review was not as positive, stating the film "falls way short of Disney's best output" and featured "weak comic relief". The review concluded, "Lacking the epic sweep of ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' or ''[[The Lion King]]'', and laced with feeble background songs from Phil Collins (inexplicably awarded an Oscar), this King of the Swingers may be merchandise-friendly, but it's no jungle VIP."<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.radiotimes.com/film/kwf5j/tarzan | title= Tarzan | publisher= [[Radio Times]] | first= Alan | last= Jones | access-date= August 22, 2015 | archive-date= September 24, 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141628/http://www.radiotimes.com/film/kwf5j/tarzan | url-status= live }}</ref> Michael Wilmington of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', while giving the film three stars, wrote that ''Tarzan'' "lacks that special pizazz that the string of Disney cartoon features from ''The Little Mermaid'' through ''The Lion King'' all had". He found faults in the film's removal of all African characters, lack of romantic tension between Tarzan and Jane, and the songs by Phil Collins, comparing them unfavorably with Elton John's "showstoppers" for ''The Lion King''. He wrote "depriving the characters of big numbers weakens the movie".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-18-9906180286-story.html|title=Techno 'Tarzan'|last=Wilmington|first=Michael|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=October 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020095705/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-18-9906180286-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>
The ''[[Radio Times]]'' review was not as positive, stating the film "falls way short of Disney's best output" and featured "weak comic relief". The review concluded, "Lacking the epic sweep of ''[[Mulan (1998 film)|Mulan]]'' or ''The Lion King'', and laced with feeble background songs from Phil Collins (inexplicably awarded an Oscar), this King of the Swingers may be merchandise-friendly, but it's no jungle VIP."<ref>{{cite web | url= http://www.radiotimes.com/film/kwf5j/tarzan | title= Tarzan | publisher= [[Radio Times]] | first= Alan | last= Jones | access-date= August 22, 2015 | archive-date= September 24, 2015 | archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20150924141628/http://www.radiotimes.com/film/kwf5j/tarzan | url-status= live }}</ref> Michael Wilmington of the ''[[Chicago Tribune]]'', while giving the film three stars, wrote that ''Tarzan'' "lacks that special pizazz that the string of Disney cartoon features from ''The Little Mermaid'' through ''The Lion King'' all had". He found faults in the film's removal of all African characters, lack of romantic tension between Tarzan and Jane, and the songs by Phil Collins, comparing them unfavorably with Elton John's "showstoppers" for ''The Lion King''. He wrote "depriving the characters of big numbers weakens the movie".<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-18-9906180286-story.html|title=Techno 'Tarzan'|last=Wilmington|first=Michael|newspaper=[[Chicago Tribune]]|date=June 18, 1999|access-date=September 11, 2015|url-access=limited|archive-date=October 20, 2021|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20211020095705/https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/ct-xpm-1999-06-18-9906180286-story.html|url-status=live}}</ref>


[[Ty Burr]] of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the soundtrack a B−, stating that it was awkwardly split between Collins's songs and the traditional score, was burdened by too many alternate versions of the tracks, and in some instances bore similarities to the scores of ''The Lion King'' and ''[[Star Wars]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tarzan-4/ |title=Music Review: Tarzan (1999) |access-date=April 6, 2009 |last=Burr |first=Ty |date=May 21, 1999 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=June 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629043857/https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tarzan-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
[[Ty Burr]] of ''Entertainment Weekly'' gave the soundtrack a B−, stating that it was awkwardly split between Collins's songs and the traditional score, was burdened by too many alternate versions of the tracks, and in some instances bore similarities to the scores of ''The Lion King'' and ''[[Star Wars]]''.<ref>{{cite magazine |url=https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tarzan-4/ |title=Music Review: Tarzan (1999) |access-date=April 6, 2009 |last=Burr |first=Ty |date=May 21, 1999 |magazine=[[Entertainment Weekly]] |archive-date=June 29, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190629043857/https://ew.com/article/1999/05/21/tarzan-4/ |url-status=live }}</ref>
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[[Category:Animated films about gorillas]]
[[Category:Animated films about gorillas]]
[[Category:Animated films about elephants]]
[[Category:Animated films about elephants]]
[[Category:Annie Award-winning films]]
[[Category:Annie Award–winning films]]
[[Category:Disney Renaissance]]
[[Category:Disney Renaissance]]
[[Category:Films about animals]]
[[Category:Films about animals]]
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[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films]]
[[Category:Walt Disney Animation Studios films]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Animated films set in the 19th century]]
[[Category:Fiction about talking animals]]
[[Category:Animated films about talking animals]]
[[Category:English-language musical comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language musical comedy-drama films]]
[[Category:English-language action adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language action adventure films]]
[[Category:English-language musical fantasy films]]
[[Category:Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Award–winning films]]

Latest revision as of 04:43, 25 November 2024

Tarzan
Theatrical release poster
Directed by
Screenplay by
Story by
Based onTarzan of the Apes
by Edgar Rice Burroughs
Produced byBonnie Arnold
Starring
Edited byGregory Perler
Music byMark Mancina
Production
company
Distributed byBuena Vista Pictures Distribution[a]
Release dates
Running time
88 minutes[2]
CountryUnited States
LanguageEnglish
Budget$130 million[1]
Box office$448.2 million[1]

Tarzan is a 1999 American animated coming-of-age[3] adventure comedy-drama film produced by Walt Disney Feature Animation and released by Walt Disney Pictures. It is based on the 1912 story Tarzan of the Apes by Edgar Rice Burroughs, being the first animated major motion picture version of the story. The film was directed by Kevin Lima and Chris Buck (in his feature directorial debut) and produced by Bonnie Arnold, from a screenplay written by Tab Murphy and the writing team of Bob Tzudiker and Noni White. It stars the voices of Tony Goldwyn as the title character along with Minnie Driver, Glenn Close, Rosie O'Donnell, Brian Blessed, Lance Henriksen, Wayne Knight, and Nigel Hawthorne.

Pre-production of Tarzan began in 1995, with Lima selected as director[4] and Buck joining him the same year. Following Murphy's first draft, Tzudiker, White, Dave Reynolds, and Jeffrey Stepakoff (the latter two of whom received additional screenplay credits in the final cut), were brought in to reconstruct the third act and add additional material to the screenplay. English recording artist Phil Collins was recruited to compose and record songs integrated with a score by Mark Mancina. Meanwhile, the production team embarked on a research trip to Uganda and Kenya to study the gorillas. The animation of the film combines 2D hand-drawn animation with the extensive use of computer-generated imagery, and it was done in California, Orlando, and Paris, with the pioneering computer animation software system Deep Canvas being predominantly used to create three-dimensional backgrounds.

Tarzan premiered at the El Capitan Theatre in Los Angeles on June 12, 1999, and was released in the United States on June 18. It received positive reviews from critics, who praised its voice performances, music, animation, and action sequences. Against a production budget of $130 million (then the most expensive traditionally animated film ever made until Treasure Planet in 2002), the film grossed $448.2 million worldwide, becoming the fifth highest-grossing film of 1999, the second highest-grossing animated film of 1999 behind Toy Story 2, and the first Disney animated feature to open at first place at the North American box office since Pocahontas (1995). It won the Academy Award for Best Original Song ("You'll Be in My Heart" by Phil Collins). The film has led to many derived works, such as a Broadway adaptation, a television series, and two direct-to-video followups, Tarzan & Jane (2002) and Tarzan II (2005). Due to licensing issues with Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc., the use of these characters are limited.[5]

Plot

In the 1880s, a British couple and their infant son are shipwrecked in Equatorial Africa. The adults build a treehouse, but are killed by a leopard named Sabor. Kala, a local gorilla whose son was also killed by Sabor, finds the human infant and adopts him, naming him Tarzan.

As a child, Tarzan befriends Kala's niece Terk and the paranoid elephant Tantor. Because of his different appearance and unorthodox behaviors, Tarzan finds himself treated differently by the other gorillas, and by Kerchak, the troop's leader and Kala's mate. Tarzan makes valiant efforts to improve himself as he grows; several years later, Sabor attacks the gorillas, but Tarzan kills the leopard, gaining Kerchak's reluctant respect.

Meanwhile, British explorer Archimedes Q. Porter, his daughter Jane, and their hunter escort William Cecil Clayton arrive in Africa to study the gorillas. Jane accidentally becomes separated from the others and is chased by baboons, until a curious Tarzan rescues her. After comparing her to himself, he realizes they are the same species. Jane leads Tarzan back to their camp, where Porter and Clayton both take interest in him; the former in terms of scientific progress, while the latter hopes to have Tarzan lead the group to the gorillas. Despite Kerchak's warnings to avoid the strangers, Tarzan repeatedly returns to the camp. The Porters and Clayton teach him how to speak English properly, and tell him what the human world is like. Tarzan and Jane begin a romantic relationship; however, she has difficulty convincing Tarzan to lead the humans to the gorillas, as Tarzan fears Kerchak's fury.

As the explorers' ship returns to retrieve them, Jane asks Tarzan to travel to England with her; however, when she says it is unlikely they will return to Africa, Tarzan tries persuading Jane to stay with him instead. Clayton tricks Tarzan into believing Jane will stay in Africa in exchange for her seeing the gorillas. Tarzan persuades Terk and Tantor to lure Kerchak away, and leads the trio to the nesting grounds. The Porters are excitedly to mingle with the gorillas, but Kerchak returns to attack the humans. Tarzan restrains Kerchak while the humans escape, disappointing Kerchak. Taking Tarzan to the treehouse where she found him, Kala reveals his heritage and says she wants him to be happy whatever he decides.

In the morning, Tarzan boards the ship, accompanied by the Porters, but Clayton and his traitorous group of stowaway thugs ambush the trio. Now aware of the location of the nesting grounds, Clayton plans to capture and sell the gorillas for a fortune, and imprisons Tarzan and the Porters to prevent their interference. Tarzan escapes with the help of Terk and Tantor, and he rallies the other animals to help the gorillas fight Clayton's thugs. Clayton fatally wounds Kerchak and enters the rainforest canopy to fight Tarzan, but inadvertently falls and hangs himself on a vine. Before Kerchak dies, he finally accepts Tarzan as his son and names him the gorilla troop's leader.

The next day, the Porters prepare to leave on the ship, while Tarzan stays behind with the gorillas. As the ship's rowboat leaves shore, Porter encourages his daughter to stay with the man she loves, and Jane jumps overboard, followed soon after by her father. The Porters reunite with Tarzan and his family, and embark on their new life together.

Voice cast

  • Tony Goldwyn as Tarzan, a 20-year-old man raised by gorillas who finds his human roots. Glen Keane served as the supervising animator for Tarzan as an adult, while John Ripa animated Tarzan as an infant and a 6-year-old child. John Ripa studied the movements of young chimpanzees to use for young Tarzan's animation, while Glen Keane used movements of a gibbon and used it for the animation of adult Tarzan. Keane also watched his son Max Keane skateboarding and snowboarding and referenced surfers' movements to animate the scenes where Tarzan slides across tree branches.[6] Brendan Fraser auditioned twice for the title character before portraying the lead role in George of the Jungle (1997).[7] Tony Goldwyn auditioned for the title role as well, and according to co-director Kevin Lima, Goldwyn landed it because of "the animal sense" in his readings, along with some "killer baboon imitations".[8]
  • Minnie Driver as Jane Porter, the eccentric, feisty, benevolent, and intelligent daughter of Professor Porter. She is the first of the group to encounter Tarzan and becomes his love interest. Ken Duncan served as the supervising animator for Jane. Many of Driver's mannerisms and characteristics were incorporated into Jane's animation. The scene where Jane describes meeting Tarzan for the first time to her father and Clayton was improvised by Driver, resulting in Duncan animating one of the longest animated scenes on record. The scene took 7 weeks to animate and 73 feet of film.[9]
  • Glenn Close as Kala, Tarzan's adoptive mother, who found and raised him after losing her biological son to Sabor. She is also Kerchak's mate. Russ Edmonds served as the supervising animator for Kala.
  • Rosie O'Donnell as Terk (short for Terkina, a feminization of Terkoz merged with Teeka), Tarzan's best friend, a wisecracking gorilla. She is also Kala and Kerchak's niece, making her and Tarzan adoptive cousins. Michael Surrey served as the supervising animator for Terk. The character was originally written as a male gorilla, but after O'Donnell's audition, Terk was re-characterized as a female.[10] Prior to changing Terk to a female Chris Rock was offered the role, but turned it down.[11]
  • Brian Blessed as William Cecil Clayton, an intelligent and suave yet arrogant and treacherous hunter, who assists the Porters on their quest. Randy Haycock served as the supervising animator for Clayton, basing his design on Clark Gable and other film stars of the 1930s and 40s. Blessed also provided the iconic Tarzan yell for the title character.[12]
  • Nigel Hawthorne as Professor Archimedes Q. Porter, an eccentric, short-statured scientist and Jane's father. Dave Burgess served as the supervising animator for Porter. This was one of Hawthorne's two final acting roles before his death in 2001. This is also the second Disney film Nigel starred in following his performance in the earlier Disney film The Black Cauldron (1985).
  • Lance Henriksen as Kerchak, Kala's mate and Tarzan's reluctant adoptive father, a silverback and leader of the gorilla troop, who struggles to accept Tarzan since he is a human. Bruce W. Smith served as the supervising animator for Kerchak.
  • Wayne Knight as Tantor, a paranoid and submissive elephant, and Tarzan and Terk's close friend. Sergio Pablos served as the supervising animator for Tantor. Woody Allen was initially cast as Tantor, but Jeffrey Katzenberg persuaded Allen to leave the project and join DreamWorks' Antz (1998).[13]
    • Taylor Dempsey as young Tantor.

Production

Development

Disney's Tarzan was the first Tarzan film to be animated.[14] Thomas Schumacher, then-president of Walt Disney Feature Animation, expressed surprise there hadn't been any previous attempts to animate a Tarzan film, saying, "Here is a book that cries out to be animated. Yet we're the first filmmakers to have ever taken Tarzan from page to screen and presented the character as Burroughs intended." He noted that in animated form, Tarzan can connect to the animals on a deeper level than he can in live-action versions.[15]

In 1994, when A Goofy Movie (1995) was nearly finished, Kevin Lima was approached to direct Tarzan by then-studio chairman Jeffrey Katzenberg. He had desired to have the film animated through the Disney Television Animation division with a new animation studio established in Canada. Lima was reluctant to the idea because of the animation complexities being done by inexperienced animators. Following Katzenberg's resignation from the Walt Disney Company, Lima was again contacted about the project by Michael Eisner, who decided to have the film produced through the Feature Animation division, by which Lima signed on.[16]

Following this, Lima decided to read Tarzan of the Apes where he began to visualize the theme of two hands being held up against each other.[17] That image became an important symbol of the relationships between characters in the film, and a metaphor of Tarzan's search for identity. "I was looking for something that would underscore Tarzan's sense of being alike, yet different from his ape family", Lima said, "The image of touching hands was first conceived as an idea for how Tarzan realizes he and Jane are physically the same."[17]

Following his two-month study of the book, Lima approached his friend, Chris Buck, who had just wrapped up work as a supervising animator on Pocahontas (1995), to ask if he would be interested in serving as co-director. Buck was initially skeptical but accepted after hearing Lima's ideas for the film.[18] By April 1995, the Los Angeles Times reported that the film was in its preliminary stages with Lima and Buck directing after Disney had obtained the story rights from the estate of Edgar Rice Burroughs.[19]

Writing

Tab Murphy, who had just finished work on The Hunchback of Notre Dame (1996), was attracted to the theme of man-versus-nature in Tarzan, and began developing a treatment in January 1995. For the third act, Murphy suggested that Tarzan should leave for England, as he did in the book, but the directors felt that it was incompatible with their central theme of what defines a family.[20] In order to keep Tarzan in the jungle, the third act needed to be restructured by redefining the role of the villain and inventing a way to endanger the gorillas. In this departure from Burroughs' novel, a villain named Clayton was created to serve as a guide for Professor Archimedes Q. Porter and his daughter, Jane.[21] In addition to this, Kerchak was re-characterized from a savage silverback into the protector of the gorilla tribe.[22]

In January 1997, husband-and-wife screenwriting duo Bob Tzudiker and Noni White were hired to help refocus and add humor to the script as a way to balance the emotional weight of the film.[23] Comedy writer Dave Reynolds was also brought on to write humorous dialogue for the film.[24] "I was initially hired on for six weeks of rewriting and punch-up", Reynolds said, "A year and a half later, I finished. Either they liked my work, or I was very bad at time management."[25] One challenge the writers faced was how Tarzan should learn about his past. "When Kala takes Tarzan back to the tree house, she is essentially telling him that he was adopted", Bonnie Arnold, the producer for Tarzan, said, "This is necessitated by him encountering humans and recognizing he is one of them." As a way to explore the feelings in that scene, Arnold brought in adoptive parents to talk with the story team.[26]

Animation

The animators were split into two teams, one in Paris and one in Burbank. The 6000-mile distance and difference in time zones posed challenges for collaboration, especially for scenes with Tarzan and Jane. Glen Keane was the supervising animator for Tarzan at the Paris studio, while Ken Duncan was the supervising animator for Jane at the studio in Burbank. To make coordinating scenes with multiple characters easier, the animators used a system called a "scene machine" that could send rough drawings between the two animation studios.[27] Meanwhile, following production on Mulan (1998), two hundred animators at Walt Disney Feature Animation Florida provided character animation and special effects animation where the filmmakers had to discuss their work through daily video conferences among the three studios.[28]

Keane was inspired to make Tarzan "surf" through the trees because of his son's interest in extreme sports, and he began working on a test scene. The directors expressed concern that Tarzan would be made into a "surfer dude".[29] In October 1996, Keane revealed the test animation to them, which they liked it enough that it was used during the "Son of Man" sequence, with movements inspired by skateboarder Tony Hawk.[30] Although Keane initially thought that Tarzan would be easy to animate because he only wears a loincloth, he realized that he would need a fully working human musculature while still being able to move like an animal. To figure out Tarzan's movements, the Paris animation team studied different animals in order to transpose their movements onto him. They also consulted with a professor of anatomy. This resulted in Tarzan being the first Disney character to accurately display working muscles.[31]

To prepare for animating the gorillas, the animation team attended lectures on primates, made trips to zoos, and studied nature documentaries, with a group of animators also witnessing a gorilla dissection to learn about their musculature. In March 1996, the production team began a two-week safari in Kenya to take reference photographs and observe the animals. On the trip, they visited Bwindi Impenetrable National Park in Uganda to view mountain gorillas in the wild, and get inspiration for the setting.[32] In 2000, Chris Buck repeated the journey accompanied by journalists to promote the film's home video release.[33]

To create the sweeping 3D backgrounds, Tarzan's production team developed a 3D painting and rendering technique known as Deep Canvas (a term coined by artist/engineer Eric Daniels).[34] This technique allows artists to produce CGI backgrounds that look like a traditional painting, according to art director Daniel St. Pierre.[34] (The software keeps track of brushstrokes applied in 3D space.)[34] For this advancement, the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences awarded the creators of Deep Canvas a Technical Achievement Award in 2003. After Tarzan, Deep Canvas was used for a number of sequences in Atlantis: The Lost Empire (2001), particularly large panoramic shots of the island and several action sequences. Expanded to support moving objects as part of the background, Deep Canvas was used to create about 75 percent of the environments in Disney's next major animated action film, Treasure Planet (2002).

Music

In 1995, Phil Collins was initially brought onto the project as a songwriter following a recommendation by Disney music executive Chris Montan. Early into production, directors Kevin Lima and Chris Buck decided not to follow Disney's musical tradition by having the characters sing. "I did not want Tarzan to sing", Lima stated, "I just couldn't see this half-naked man sitting on a branch breaking out in song. I thought it would be ridiculous."[7] Instead, Collins would perform the songs in the film serving as the narrator.[35][36] The choice of Collins, a popular and well established adult contemporary artist, led to comparisons with Elton John's earlier music for The Lion King (1994).[37] Tarzan was dubbed in thirty-five languages—the most for any Disney movie at the time,[38] and Collins recorded his songs in French, Italian, German, and Spanish for the dubbed versions of the film's soundtrack.[38][39] According to Collins, most of the songs he wrote for Tarzan came from improvisation sessions and his reactions while reading the treatment. Three of the songs he wrote—"Son of Man", "Trashin' the Camp", and "Strangers Like Me"—were based on his initial impressions after he read the source material.[40] The other two songs were "You'll Be in My Heart", a lullaby sung to Tarzan by Kala (voiced by Glenn Close), and "Two Worlds", a song Collins wrote to serve as the anthem for Tarzan.[41]

The instrumental scoring for the film was composed by Mark Mancina, who had previously produced music for The Lion King (1994), and the musical of the same name. Mancina and Collins worked closely to create music that would complement the film's setting and used many obscure instruments from Mancina's personal collection in the score.[42] "The idea of score and song arrangement came together as one entity, as Phil and I worked in tandem to create what's heard in the film", Mancina said.[42]

Release

On June 12, 1999, the film premiered at the El Capitan Theater with the cast and filmmakers as attendees followed by a forty-minute concert with Phil Collins performing songs from the film.[43] On July 23, 1999, Disney launched a digital projection release of Tarzan released only in three theatrical venues including Walt Disney World's Pleasure Island multiplex for three weeks. Although Star Wars: Episode I – The Phantom Menace and An Ideal Husband had been given earlier digital projection releases despite being shot on photographic film, Tarzan was notable for being the first major feature release to have been produced, mastered, and projected digitally.[44][45]

Marketing

Disney Consumer Products released a series of toys, books, and stuffed animals for Tarzan, partnering with Mattel to produce a line of plush toys and action figures.[46] Mattel also produced the Rad Repeatin' Tarzan action figure, but discontinued it after complaints regarding the toy's onanistic arm motions.[47] Continuing its advertising alliance with McDonald's, its promotional campaign began on the film's opening day with several toys accompanied with Happy Meals and soda straws that replicated the Tarzan yell.[48] Disney also worked with Nestle to create Tarzan themed candies, including a banana-flavored chocolate bar.[49] In early 2000, Disney partnered again with McDonald's to release a set of eight Happy Meal toys as a tie-in for the film's home video.[50] They also offered Tarzan themed food options, such as banana sundaes and jungle burgers.[51]

Home media

On February 1, 2000, the film was released on VHS and DVD, as well as on LaserDisc on June 23, 2000, only in Japan, making Tarzan the last Disney animated feature to be released on the latter format.[52] The DVD version contained bonus material, including the "Strangers Like Me" music video, the making of "Trashin' the Camp" featuring Collins and 'N Sync, and an interactive trivia game.[53] A 2-Disc Collector's Edition was released on April 18, 2000. It included an audio commentary track recorded by the filmmakers, behind-the-scenes footage, and supplements that detailed the legacy of Tarzan and the film's development.[54] These THX certified DVD releases also featured a sneak peek for Dinosaur (2000), and a DVD-ROM.[55] Both editions were placed in moratorium on January 31, 2002, and placed back into the Disney Vault.[56] By January 2001, the film was the most successful home video release of 2000, earning retail revenues of $268 million.[57]

On October 18, 2005, Disney released the Tarzan Special Edition on DVD. Tarzan's first Blu-ray edition was released throughout Europe in early 2012, and on August 12, 2014, Disney released the Tarzan Special Edition on Blu-ray, DVD, and Digital HD.[58][59]

Reception

Box office

Pre-release box office tracking indicated that Tarzan was appealing to all four major demographics noticeably for the first time for a Disney animated film since The Lion King (1994).[60] The film was given a limited release on June 16, 1999,[1] and its wide release followed two days later in 3,005 screens. During the weekend of June 18–21, Tarzan grossed $34.1 million ranking first at the box office, beating out Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me (1999) and The General's Daughter (1999).[61] At the time, it also ranked second behind The Lion King (1994), which had earned $40.9 million, as the highest-earning box office opening for a Disney animated film.[62] By August 1999, the domestic gross was projected to approach $170 million.[63] Ultimately, the film closed its box office run earning $448.2 million worldwide.[1]

Critical reaction

Rotten Tomatoes reported that 89% of critics gave the film a positive review based on 106 reviews, with an average score of 7.6/10. The critical consensus reads that "Disney's Tarzan takes the well-known story to a new level with spirited animation, a brisk pace, and some thrilling action set-pieces."[64] Metacritic, which assigns a normalized rating out of 100 from top reviews from mainstream critics, calculated a score of 79 based on 27 reviews, indicating "generally favorable reviews".[65] Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A" on an A+ to F scale.[66]

Entertainment Weekly compared the film's advancement in visual effects to that of The Matrix, stating that it had "the neatest computer-generated background work since Keanu Reeves did the backstroke in slow motion". They elaborate by describing how the characters moved seamlessly through the backgrounds themselves, giving the film a unique three-dimensional feel that far surpassed the quality of previous live-action attempts.[67] Roger Ebert gave the film his highest rating of four stars, and he had similar comments about the film, describing it as representing "another attempt by Disney to push the envelope of animation", with scenes that "move through space with a freedom undreamed of in older animated films, and unattainable by any live-action process".[68] Awarding the film three stars, James Berardinelli wrote: "From a purely visual standpoint, this may be the most impressive of all of Disney's traditionally animated features. The backdrops are lush, the characters are well realized, and the action sequences are dizzying, with frequent changes of perspectives and camera angles. No conventional animated film has been this ambitious before."[69] Desson Howe, writing for The Washington Post, claimed the film "isn't up there with Aladdin, The Lion King and The Little Mermaid, but it's easily above the riffraff ranks of Hercules and Pocahontas".[70] Todd McCarthy of Variety proved to be less amused by the animation, claiming it was "richly detailed and colorfully conceived, but the computer animation and graphics are often intermingled and combined in ways that are more distracting in their differences than helpful in their vividness".[71]

Lisa Schwarzbaum, who graded the film an A−, applauded the film as "a thrilling saga about a natural man, untainted by the complications of 'civilized' life, who can anticipate changes in the air by sniffing the wind — swings because the Disney team, having sniffed the wind, went out on a limb and kept things simple".[72] Peter Stack of the San Francisco Chronicle admired the film for tackling "meanings of family relationships and ideas about society, guardianship and compassion" and "cunning and greed and the ultimate evil", as well as remaining faithful to Burroughs's original novel.[73] Kenneth Turan of Los Angeles Times wrote that the "story unfolds with dangers as well as warm humor; a jungle jam session called 'Trashin' the Camp' is especially hard to resist. We may have seen it all before, but when it's done up like this, experiencing it all over again is a pleasure."[74] Janet Maslin, reviewing for The New York Times, similarly opined that "Tarzan initially looks and sounds like more of the same, to the point where Phil Collins is singing the words 'trust your heart' by the third line of his opening song. But it proves to be one of the more exotic blooms in the Disney hothouse, what with voluptuous flora, hordes of fauna, charming characters and excitingly kinetic animation that gracefully incorporates computer-generated motion."[75]

The Radio Times review was not as positive, stating the film "falls way short of Disney's best output" and featured "weak comic relief". The review concluded, "Lacking the epic sweep of Mulan or The Lion King, and laced with feeble background songs from Phil Collins (inexplicably awarded an Oscar), this King of the Swingers may be merchandise-friendly, but it's no jungle VIP."[76] Michael Wilmington of the Chicago Tribune, while giving the film three stars, wrote that Tarzan "lacks that special pizazz that the string of Disney cartoon features from The Little Mermaid through The Lion King all had". He found faults in the film's removal of all African characters, lack of romantic tension between Tarzan and Jane, and the songs by Phil Collins, comparing them unfavorably with Elton John's "showstoppers" for The Lion King. He wrote "depriving the characters of big numbers weakens the movie".[77]

Ty Burr of Entertainment Weekly gave the soundtrack a B−, stating that it was awkwardly split between Collins's songs and the traditional score, was burdened by too many alternate versions of the tracks, and in some instances bore similarities to the scores of The Lion King and Star Wars.[78]

Accolades

List of awards and nominations
Award Category Nominee(s) Result Ref.
Academy Awards Best Original Song "You'll Be in My Heart"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Won [79]
Annie Awards Best Animated Feature Bonnie Arnold Nominated [80]
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Character Animation Ken Duncan Nominated
Glen Keane Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Directing in an Animated Feature Production Kevin Lima and Chris Buck Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Effects Animation Peter De Mund Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Music in an Animated Feature Production "Two Worlds"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Production Design in an Animated Feature Production Daniel St. Pierre Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Storyboarding in an Animated Feature Production Brian Pimental Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Voice Acting in an Animated Feature Production Minnie Driver Nominated
Outstanding Individual Achievement for Writing in an Animated Feature Production Tab Murphy, Bob Tzudiker, and Noni White Nominated
Technical Achievement in the Field of Animation Eric Daniels Won
Artios Awards Animated Voice-Over Feature Casting Ruth Lambert Won [81]
Golden Globe Awards Best Original Song "You'll Be in My Heart"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Won [82]
Golden Reel Awards Best Sound Editing – Animated Feature Per Hallberg, Curt Schulkey, Craig S. Jaeger,
Christopher Assells, Scott Martin Gershin,
Lou Kleinman, Geoffrey G. Rubay, and
Peter Michael Sullivan
Nominated
Best Sound Editing – Music – Animated Feature Earl Ghaffari Nominated
Grammy Awards Best Soundtrack Album Tarzan: An Original Walt Disney Records
Soundtrack
– Phil Collins and Mark Mancina
Won [83]
Best Song Written for a Motion Picture, Television or Other Visual Media "You'll Be in My Heart" – Phil Collins Nominated
Las Vegas Film Critics Society Awards Best Animated Film Kevin Lima and Chris Buck Nominated [84]
Best Song "You'll Be in My Heart"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Nominated
Nickelodeon Kids' Choice Awards Favorite Voice from an Animated Movie Rosie O'Donnell Won [85]
Favorite Song from a Movie "Two Worlds"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Nominated
Online Film & Television Association Awards Best Original Song "You'll Be in My Heart"
Music and Lyrics by Phil Collins
Nominated [86]
Satellite Awards Best Animated or Mixed Media Feature Nominated [87]
Saturn Awards Best Fantasy Film Nominated [88]
Young Artist Awards Best Family Feature Film – Animated Nominated [89]
Best Performance in a Voice-Over (TV or Feature Film) – Young Actor Alex D. Linz Nominated

The film is recognized by American Film Institute in these lists:

Legacy

Television series

A spin-off animated series, The Legend of Tarzan, ran from 2001 to 2003. The series picks up where the film left off, with Tarzan adjusting to his new role as leader of the apes following Kerchak's death, and Jane (whom he has since married) adjusting to life in the jungle.

Direct-to-video followups

In July 1999, Disney announced that they were planning a sequel for Tarzan.[92] In 2002, Tarzan & Jane was released as a direct-to-video sequel, with Michael T. Weiss replacing Goldwyn as the voice of Tarzan. Tarzan II, a direct-to-video follow-up, was released in 2005.

Broadway musical

A Broadway musical produced by Disney Theatrical, also titled Tarzan, began previews on March 24, 2006. It had an official opening night on May 10 of the same year. After running for over a year on Broadway, the show closed on July 8, 2007.[93]

Video games

Five Tarzan video games have been released on various platforms. Tarzan's home is also featured as a playable world, "Deep Jungle", in the 2002 game Kingdom Hearts, and in the 2013 HD remaster Kingdom Hearts HD 1.5 Remix, in which Goldwyn and Blessed were the only actors from the film to reprise their roles, while Jane was voiced by Naia Kelly and Audrey Wasilewski reprised her role as Terk from the 1999 video game based on the film; Kerchak and Kala appeared, but were silent, while Tantor and Professor Porter were absent. The world was originally meant to return in Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, but ultimately did not appear and has not appeared in any subsequent Kingdom Hearts games.

Edgar Rice Burroughs, Inc. holds the rights of Tarzan[5] as the use of these characters are since limited. During the production of House of Mouse episodes, crew members, Roberts "Bobs" Gannaway and Tony Craig, were forbidden to use these characters in the show, alongside restricting the use of other characters by different owners except only allowing Disney characters from the original source material.[94] Also regarding Burroughs' ownership, the characters are omitted from Disney Emoji Blitz (app run by Jam City).[95]

Notes

  1. ^ Distributed by Buena Vista Pictures Distribution through the Walt Disney Pictures banner.

References

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