in february 1980, mgm announced the studio was making a tarzan film with the dereks. warner bros. complained, as that studio was also developing a tarzan film with robert towne called "greystoke" and they had the rights to the character from the burroughs estate. mgm argued the derek film would be the second remake of their 1932 film "tarzan the ape man" which they had the right to do, having released the first remake in 1959. the burroughs estate sued mgm.