On The Grapevine

Film critics in two more U.S. cities have named their favorite movies of 2006 and Variety has all of the info:

Here's the Las Vegas honorees--and those from Dallas...

This next story actually broke late last week...I know I'm a little late with it--truth be told--I forgot all about it until now. Thanks for not holding my tardiness against me...

Everyone's favorite jungle hero, Tarzan, is coming back to the silver screen.

Springing from the mind of author Edgar Rice Burroughs, the character is among the most popular fictional adventurers ever created...

Michael Fleming of Variety has the details

Warner Bros. and producer Jerry Weintraub are bringing Tarzan back to the big screen.

The studio is developing a new take on the Edgar Rice Burroughs-created character. Studio is negotiating with Guillermo del Toro to direct.

John Collee, who wrote "Master and Commander: Far Side of the World" and most recently scripted the WB animated hit "Happy Feet," is negotiating to write the screenplay.

Weintraub will produce through his Jerry Weintraub Prods. banner.

In the years since Burroughs first introduced the loincloth-clad character in book form in 1914, Tarzan has headlined live action and animated films, as well as radio and TV shows.

Del Toro, who grew up reading Spanish-language translations of those books, feels that the classic themes are still compelling, and that there is new ground to cover in the Tarzan mythology by turning back to the original Burroughs prose.

"I'd love to create a new version that is still a family movie, but as edgy as I can make it," Del Toro said. "There are strong themes of survival of a defenseless child left behind in the most hostile environment."

Deals are still being worked out, but Del Toro sparked to the chance to collaborate with Collee.

"John will be writing it alone, as I'll be in production on 'Hellboy 2' and pursuing writing projects of my own," Del Toro said. "He's got a great sense of adventure and the wilderness."

Del Toro, whose new film "Pan's Labyrinth" opens Dec. 29...

Guillermo del Toro has built up a solid filmography over the years and I'm sure with a solid script in hand--he can make a darn good jungle epic.

The character has appeared in dozens films over the years... Some of them are true classics like Tarzan the Ape Man (1932), that helped make actor Johnny Weissmuller a true Hollywood star. Or director Hugh Hudson's underrated epic Greystoke: The Legend of Tarzan, Lord of the Apes (1984) with Christopher Lambert in that famous loin cloth--Then there's been truly awful Tarzan films such as Tarzan and the Lost City (1998). Hopefully, Del Toro will cast someone with real acting chops in the lead role, and not some glorified pretty boy underwear model...

In other news: As promised, I received a postage paid envelope from Warner Home Video, to put those defective DVDs from the Superman Ultimate Collector's Edition in yesterday. They were mailed back to WHV today. With any luck, the replacement discs, for the set will arrive quickly...So that I can post my thoughts on the product as a whole...