Andy Serkis’ ‘Jungle Book Origins’ will be called ‘Mowgli’, still set for October
There has been a title change to Andy Serkis’ forthcoming Jungle Book: Origins project as the new Warner Bros. project based on Rudyard Kipling’s collection of stories officially has changed to Mowgli.
Deadline reports that “Slated to open on October 19, the film follows the titular character, who is raised by wolves as he follows the rules of the jungle and keeps company with a flighty but lovable bear named Baloo and a wary, protective panther named Bagheera. The film will have a different, darker tone than Jon Favreau’s smash 2016 adaptation and stars Serkis, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Peter Mullan, Jack Reynor, Eddie Marsan and Tom Hollander, with Rohan Chand as Mowgli.”
Scanned image of the cover of the first edition of The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling (1865-18th January 1936), illustrated by John Lockwood Kipling (1837-1911)
Serkis’ adaptation, written by Callie Kloves, originally was slated for a 2016 date close to Favreau’s but since has shifted.
The famous motion capture star has warned that this version will not be packed full of campy songs and will not be meant for kids: “Ours is much more savage. There are no songs, and it’s not meant for young families.”
Bale plays the black panther Bagheera, Cate Blanchett voices the anaconda Kaa and Cumberbatch is the villainous Shere Khan, while Mowgli will be played by Rohan Chand. Also starring is Matthew Rhys, Tom Hollander, and Naomie Harris will Serkis set to voice the role of Baloo.
Serkis has been vocal about Cumberbatch’s Shere Khan: “It’s amazing, Benedict’s phenomenal. He’s really scary. It’s a grounded, full-of-rage, brilliant performance. What’s brilliant about his performance is he’s not just a black-and-white villain,” Serkis told mirror.co.uk.
“Bizarrely, you actually feel his point of view. It’s quite a nuanced performance. You’ll see him in a new light. The Sherlock fans will be surprised, definitely,” he added.
“Kids are so sophisticated,” Serkis continued, “and that is why our Jungle Book is quite dark. … It’s a story of an outsider, someone who is trying to accept the laws and customs of a particular way of living and then has to adapt to another culture, a human culture, which of course he should be able to adapt to, because this is what he is. So it’s about two different species and their laws and customs, and neither are entirely right.”
Jungle Book: Origins arrives in theaters on October 19, 2018.
