In a somewhat similar scenario to what we saw in the late 1990s with Armageddon and Deep Impact, as well as Dante’s Peak and Volcano, we have two different adaptations of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved The Jungle Book on the horizon, with the second of which, directed by Andy Serkis (Dawn of the Planet of the Apes), beginning principal photography this week.
The new 3D adaptation Jungle Book: Origins will Serkis’ directorial debut, and will be a mix of live-action and performance capture CGI, with a similarly impressive cast to that of Jon Favreau’s Disney version, due in 2016.
Set to feature in Origins are Oscar winners Christian Bale (Knight of Cups) as Bagheera and Cate Blanchett (Cinderella) as Kaa the snake, with Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game) cast as Shere Khan, the legendary tiger of the story.
The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli, raised by a wolf pack in the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. But there may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human origins.
In addition to the big names, co -starring are Rohan Chand (The Hundred-Foot Journey) as Mowgli, Peter Mullan (Hercules) as Akela; Naomie Harris (Skyfall) as Nisha, the female wolf who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs; Eddie Marsan (Sherlock Holmes) as Vihaan; and Jack Reynor (Transformers: Age of Extinction) as Mowgli’s Brother Wolf.
Jungle Book: Origins is set for release in October 2017.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ONsp_bmDYXc&list=PL18yMRIfoszFLSgML6ddazw180SXMvMz5&feature=player_embedded
Originally published March 11, 2015. Updated April 14, 2018.
