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Stars: Rohan Chand, Matthew Rhys, Freida Pinto, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris, Andy Serkis, Peter Mullan, Jack Reynor, Eddie Marsan, Tom Hollander | Written by Callie Kloves | Directed by Andy Serkis

Andy Serkis sophomore effort, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, arrives two years after Jon Favreau’s monumental critically and financially successful live-action reinvention of the much-beloweved Disney classic, Shot two years previously and focusing on a darker more adult-oriented material, expanding further upon the work of author Rudyard Kipling rather than the property from Disney, Mowgli has had a rocky road to the screens of millions. A rumoured troubled and heavily set back production forced Warner Bros to draft visionary director Alfonso Cuaron into the ranks to put the property on track. Plague of issues of the comparison to Favreau’s impressive and beloved film, only furthering the pressure on release and box office standards after the...

NetflixThe Netflix version of Rudyard Kipling's story captures the brutality of the jungle wonderfully.Saraswati DatarFor most of us growing up in India in the '90s, the animated version of Jungle Book with its chirpy title track was beloved weekend entertainment. Jungle Book, first serialised in magazines in 1893, was a series of short stories by Rudyard Kipling who spent many years of his childhood in India. Mowgli- Legend of the Jungle, the latest adaptation of Kipling’s classic tale, is a departure from its more child friendly predecessors. Directed by Andy Serkis, the film boasts of a formidable cast of actors who have provided voice and motion capture movements, and is designed to be more faithful to Kipling’s original stories which portrayed the brutality and vulnerability of the jungle and those who lived in it. Andy Serkis, who is best known for his motion capture work...

Let’s pretend for a moment that Disney didn’t just release a “live-action” remake of its 1967 “The Jungle Book” two years ago. In a world without such competition, “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” might have seemed like a good idea: a darker, decidedly non-Disney approach to Rudyard Kipling’s collection of stories about a boy raised by wild animals deep in the Indian forest. It may even have excited some people to know that performance-capture prodigy Andy Serkis was tackling the project as his directorial debut — one complicated enough that his second feature, “Breathe,” actually beat it to screens.

But Disney did release “The Jungle Book,” and that movie was a big, big hit, followed by the seemingly inevitable announcement of a sequel. Now, the best that Serkis’ “Mowgli” movie can hope for is possibly being mistaken for director Jon Favreau’s still-in-development followup (he decided to make “The Lion King” first). Still,...

Andy Serkis has given life to many unreal and unnatural characters over the course of his career. But the man behind the motion-captured face of Gollum in the “Lord of the Rings” series and Caesar in various “Planet of the Apes” films may have finally met his technical match. In “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,” his adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved story collection “The Jungle Book,” director and co-star Serkis throws in too many new elements and, in the process, derails the plot’s familiarity and some of its charms.

As in many other versions of Kipling’s tale, Mowgli (Rohan Chand, “Bad Words”) is an orphaned boy, adopted and raised by a pack of wolves in an Indian jungle. As he grows up, Mowgli is trained by cockney-accented bear Baloo (voiced by Serkis) and pragmatic panther Bagheera (Christian Bale) to fit in among the wolves and to learn to survive.

Mowgli delivers on its promise as a "darker retelling" of Rudyard Kipling's classic novel. There are no jubilant songs and dancing animals here. Mowgli is a fierce, bloody story of survival and belonging. Director Andy Serkis, Hollywood's king of motion capture performance, takes his formidable skills to the next level. Mowgli envelops you in the lush, fly-covered world of beast and man. It is spectacularly immersive, a vivid journey of a boy's transformation into a warrior.

Mowgli begins with the ruthless tiger, Shere Kahn (Benedict Cumberbatch) slaughtering humans in the jungle. As he devours a woman, her infant is left crying in the woods. The panther, Bagheera (Christian Bale), rescues the man cub by taking it to the wolf pack. The child is adopted by Nisha (Naomie Harris), who raises Mowgli as one of her own. The ancient python, Kaa (Cate Blanchett), keeper of the jungle's history, watches the man cub with great interest.

We all know what adventures man-cub Mowgli had in the jungle, but what happened when he returned to his kind?

A Netflix Original film directed by actor Andy Serkis, “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” is yet another star-studded vision of Mowgli, Baloo, Bagheera, and Shere Khan, using voice and motion-capture performances to bring the jungle to life. In a newly released trailer, Mowgli (Rohan Chand) is seen returning to his tribe of men, but as he discovers the dark side of his kind, he must act to protect his adoptive family, even his most feared enemies.

Originally developed by Warner Bros. and Serkis’ Imaginarium for Netflix, “Mowgli” comes two years after Jon Favreau’s 2016 film for Disney, a live-action retelling of the beloved animated version from 1967. The Netflix version, with a script by Callie Kloves, is said to follow more closely the original 1894 Rudyard Kipling collected stories, titled “The Jungle Book.

Ahead of the film’s Dec. 7 global launch, Netflix has released the new trailer for “Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle,” and you can watch it right now above.

Directed by Andy Serkis, the combination live-action/CGI retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s “The Jungle Book” will get a limited theatrical release in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and London on Nov. 29 with a wider release in the U.S. and UK to follow. Originally set for release in 2016 by Warner Bros. with the title “Jungle Book: Origins,” Netflix picked up global rights in July.

At CinemaCon in April, Serkis promised a darker, bloodier tale that will delve deeper into the conflict of man vs. nature that lies at the heart of the famous tale.

Also Read: Netflix Announces New Anime Projects Based on 'Pacific Rim,' 'Altered Carbon'

“Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle” stars Rohan Chand in the title role,...

The Andy Serkis CG/live action film will launch on the streaming service in 2019.

In what is thought to be its biggest ever acquisition of a finished film, Netflix has bought worldwide rights to Andy Serkis’ feature Mowgli from Warner Bros.

The CG/live action take on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book stories had been set by Warner for a theatrical release on October 19 but is now expected to get a streaming launch on Netflix sometime next year. It is understood that the streaming giant is also planning some kind of theatrical release for the film, which employs 3D effects,...

The Andy Serkis CG/live action film will launch on the streaming service in 2019.

In what is thought to be its biggest ever acquisition of a finished film, Netflix has bought worldwide rights to Andy Serkis’ feature Mowgli from Warner Bros.

The CG/live action take on Rudyard Kipling’s Jungle Book stories had been set by Warner for a theatrical release on October 19 but is now expected to get a streaming launch on Netflix sometime next year. It is understood that the streaming giant is also planning some kind of theatrical release for the film, which employs 3D effects,...

The tale of Andy Serkis’ long-delayed Jungle Book movie just got weirder. The project first originated back in 2013 with Callie Kloves penning a screenplay that garnered interest from Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu and Ron Howard, until Serkis signed on to make his feature directorial debut in 2014. Filming began on the ambitious project—titled Mowgli—in 2015, with Serkis making extensive use of performance capture technology to bring his tale to life. And while the film was finally set for release later this year, not only is that not happening, the film is switching studios entirely. Per Deadline, …...

Netflix has acquired the global rights to Andy Serkis’ “Mowgli” from Warner Bros., an individual with knowledge of the deal told TheWrap.

Warner Bros. will no longer distribute the film domestically. Instead, Netflix will roll out the film on the streaming platform and in theaters in 2019. It’s Netflix’s biggest acquisition of a finished film to date. The live-action/CGI retelling of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale will star Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Naomie Harris and Serkis. Rohan Chand will star as Mowgli.

Callie Kloves wrote the screenplay based on Kipling’s story. Producers on the project include Jonathan Cavendish, Steve Kloves and Serkis.

Also Read: 'Mowgli' Director Andy Serkis Promises a Darker, Bloodier 'Jungle Book' Sequel

At CinemaCon in April, Serkis promised a darker, bloodier tale that will delve deeper into the conflict of man vs. nature that lies at the heart of the famous tale.

Andy Serkis wasn't kidding around when he first declared that his Mowgli movie will be a lot darker than the story Disney told through the Jungle Book. Rudyard Kipling's source material was changed quite a bit when Disney first adapted the story back in 1967. Walt Disney decided to take out some of the darker elements in order to make The Jungle Book an animated movie for all ages. And it worked. The Jungle Book was a huge success for Disney and was again back in the public eye when Jon Favreau directed a live-action version of the story in 2016. However, Andy Serkis has unveiled the first trailer from his Mowgli, which is sticking closer to Rudyard Kipling's source material.

Disney's live-action version of The Jungle Book was basically a retelling of the animated version of the story that came out in 1967. Andy Serkis' Mowgli promises a darker version of...

© 2018 Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Warner Bros. Pictures

From the creator of Gollum (Lotr series) and Caesar (Planet Of The Paes) comes a new telling of the story of Mowgli. See Andy Serkis and an incredible cast bring the jungle to new life October 19, 2018 in theaters.

Motion capture and live action are blended for Mowgli, a new, big screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book.

Walt Disney Studios released the animated musical classic in 1967 and a retelling of it with a live version in 2016.

This version 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...

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Alfonso Cuaron has been brought in to "give notes" on Andy Serkis' upcoming Jungle Book movie...

With Disney and Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book riding high at the top of the box office charts worldwide, Warner Bros has opted to do some additional surgery on its own Jungle Book film, that’s due in 2018. The studio has already changed the name of the movie from Jungle Book: Origins to Jungle Book, and it pushed the movie back to October 2018, buying itself more time.

Now comes the news that Gravity director Alfonso Cuaron has been brought in to take a look at the project.

Andy Serkis is making his directorial debut with Jungle Book, and he shot the footage he needed for it last year. His cast includes Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett, with Callie Kloves penning the script.

Where does Cuaron fit it?...

Two years ago, both Warner Bros. and Disney were trying to get their respective adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book off the ground, although Disney's went through development more quickly that Warner Bros.' The Jungle Book: Origins. Fans will get to see Disney's The Jungle Book in theaters next weekend, but earlier today, Warner Bros. pushed The Jungle Book: Origins back by one full year, from October 6, 2017 to October 19, 2018, according to The Hollywood Reporter. Director Andy Serkis responded to the news with a statement from his Facebook page, where he expressed his gratitude to the studio for the new release date.

"I've got to say that personally I'm absolutely thrilled that Warner Brothers have changed the delivery date of our movie. The ambition for this project is huge. What we are attempting is an unprecedented level of psychological and emotional nuance in morphing the phenomenal performances of...

Freida Pinto ("Slumdog Millionaire," "Rise of the Planet of the Apes") is reportedly set to reunite with Andy Serkis in his directorial debut "Jungle Book: Origins" at Warner Bros. Pictures.

Based on Rudyard Kipling’s classic story, Pinto will join Matthew Rhys and Rohan Chand in the live-action roles rather than those doing the performance capture for the animals.

Serkis, Jonathan Cavendish, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett and Benedict Cumberbatch star as some members of that performance capture cast.

Callie Kloves penned the script and Serkis will produce with Steve Kloves. The film is targeting an October 6th 2017 release.

Source: Deadline...

After acting alongside a mo-capped Andy Serkis in Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Slumdog Millionaire actress Freida Pinto is reteaming with him for Warner Bros.’ Jungle Book: Origins.

Deadline reports that Pinto will take on a live-action role in the blockbuster pic, on which Serkis is set to make his directorial debut. She joins The Americans star Matthew Rhys, who is playing explorer John Lockwood, and Bad Words breakout Rohan Chand, who won the role of Mowgli, in the production, which will blend live-action and motion-capture to adapt the classic by Rudyard Kipling.

No details yet on which part the actress will play, but Jungle Book: Origins tells the story of an orphaned human boy raised by jungle animals including a friendly bear and a wise panther, so it’s perhaps likely that Pinto is playing either an explorer or Mowgli’s birth mother.

The motion-capture cast is...

Exclusive: In a reteam of sorts, I hear that Slumdog Millionaire star Freida Pinto is joining the Andy Serkis-directed Jungle Book: Origins at Warner Bros. She’s lined up to play one of the live-action roles opposite Matthew Rhys and Rohan Chand in the hybrid motion-capture pic that’s based on the Rudyard Kipling classic. Slumdog breakout Pinto was in 2011’s Rise Of The Planet Of The Apes with Serkis who is directing Jungle Book from a script by Callie Kloves. He’s also…...

Though Disney undoubtedly has Warner Bros. licked in the studios’ race to get competing Jungle Book projects into theaters, the latter’s take on Rudyard Kipling’s classic novel certainly seems more interesting. Supposedly grittier than the more traditional Disney take, Jungle Book: Origins boasts Andy Serkis in the director’s chair and a starry voice cast. Now, the buzzy pic has taken another step forward, with word that The Americans‘ Matthew Rhys is in talks to star.

Rhys is set to play the human character John Lockwood, as opposed to lending his voice to an animal. He joins Bad Words breakout Rohan Chand, who is playing human boy Mowgli.

The voice cast includes Serkis (as Baloo the bear), Christian Bale (as panther Bagheera), Benedict Cumberbatch (as villainous tiger Shere Khan), Cate Blanchett (as python Kaa), Naomie Harris (as she-wolf Nisha), Tom Hollander (as jackal Tabaqui, a jackal and crony...

The Magnificent Seven Luke Grimes ("American Sniper," "Fifty Shades of Grey") is in negotiations to join the cast of Antoine Fuqua's remake of "The Magnificent Seven" at MGM and Sony Pictures. The story centers on seven gunslingers who protect an oppressed Mexican village from a group of outlaws.

Denzel Washington, Chris Pratt, Ethan Hawke, Haley Bennett and Vincent D’Onofrio star. John Lee Hancock and Nic Pizzolatto penned the script and production is expected to start within the next month. [Source: Variety]

Story of Your Life

Forest Whitaker is in negotiations to join Amy Adams and Jeremy Renner in Denis Villeneuve's sci-fi drama "Story of Your Life" at Paramount Pictures, FilmNation and Lava Bear Films. Eric Heisserer is penning the script.

In the story, alien craft land around the world and an expert linguist (Adams) is recruited by the military to determine whether they come in peace or are a threat.

Exclusive: The Americans star Matthew Rhys is in talks to star in Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book: Origins for Warner Bros. We hear he is set to play the human character of John Lockwood as opposed to voicing an animal. In addition to directing, Serkis also will produce with Harry Potter writer Steve Kloves and Jonathan Cavendish, Serkis' partner at his Imaginarium production company. Callie Kloves wrote the adaptation of the classic Rudyard Kipling novel about an orphaned boy…...

Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures' new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's beloved classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis. Blending live action and performance capture, the film features an impressive roster of stars, including Oscar winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett and Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

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.

The actors performing the roles of the story's...

Andy Serkis

Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis.

Blending live action and performance capture, the film stars Oscar winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett and Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch.

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.

The actors performing the roles of the story’s central animal characters...

Warner Bros. Pictures has assembled an impressive roster of stars for “Jungle Book: Origins,” its new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis. The action adventure, which will blend motion capture and live action, will be released on October 21, 2016. The announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.

The actors performing the roles of the story’s central animal characters are: Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”) as the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan; Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”) as the sinister snake, Kaa; Oscar winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter,” the “Dark Knight” Trilogy) as the cunning panther, Bagheera; Andy Serkis (“Dawn of the Planet of the Apes”) as the wise bear, Baloo; Peter Mullan (“Hercules”) as the leader of the wolf pack,...

Get ready for the duelling Jungle Book movies.

Warner Bros. Pictures today announced that it has assembled a big cast of stars for Jungle Book: Origins, its new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic The Jungle Book, marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis.

The action adventure, which will blend motion capture and live action, will be released on October 21, 2016.

Meanwhile, Disney’s The Jungle Book will be in theaters a full year earlier. Helmed by Jon Favreau, this film will star Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Giancarlo Esposito, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson, and will released October 9, 2015.

The actors performing the roles of the Jungle Book: Origins’ central animal characters are: Benedict Cumberbatch (“The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug”) as the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan; Oscar winner Cate Blanchett (“Blue Jasmine”) as the sinister snake, Kaa; Oscar winner Christian Bale (“The Fighter,...

Joseph Baxter Nov 8, 2018

Warner Bros. has its own take on The Jungle Book with Mowgli... except it's now headed to Netflix.

What was once known as Jungle Book: Origins is now Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. While Jon Favreau's 2015 Disney adaptation made a splash, Warner Bros. brought plenty of star power of its own, including Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, as well as Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan, and Peter Mulan in the live-action and CGI amalgamation, which is directed by Andy Serkis. – Yes, motion-capture suit, "my precious" Andy Serkis. He works off a script by first-time screenwriter Callie Kloves.

Mowgli became the center of what could be considered a watershed move in the film industry’s ongoing theatrical/streaming distribution struggle, since, back in July, Netflix made a deal with Warner Bros. to acquire worldwide rights to movie. Consequently, the film, now brandishing...

Andy Serkis has completed his zoo of actors that will voice his adaptation of Jungle Book: Origins for Warner Bros.

Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan, Peter Mullan, and Serkis himself will all join Benedict Cumberbatch as the animal characters in the feature, which mixes together motion capture, CG animation, and live action. Bale will voice the fearsome panther Bagheera; Blanchett, the sinister python Kaa; and Serkis, the beloved Baloo the bear. Mullan, Harris, and Marsan will all voice members of the wolf pack that raises Mowgli, and Hollander will play Tabaqui, the underling jackal of...

Following yesterday’s announcement that Benedict Cumberbatch had signed on to Andy Serkis‘ “Jungle Book: Origins” as Shere Khan, news comes today via THR and Variety that Jack Reynor and Naomie Harris have been recruited to voice Brother Wolf and Nisha, respectively. Also new to the cast of this Warner Bros. adaptation of the 1894 Rudyard Kipling classic are Christian Bale as the voice of Bagheera, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Eddie Marsan as Vihaan, Tom Hollander as Tabaqui, and Peter Mullan as wolf pack leader Akela. Callie Kloves marks her screenwriting debut with the film, which is set to present a [...]

The post Jack Reynor and Naomie Harris Join Andy Serkis’ ‘Jungle Book: Origins’ appeared first on Up and Comers.

Warner Bros. has cast more characters for The Jungle Book: Origins, which marks the directorial debut of motion-capture performance artist and actor Andy Serkis. This follows the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch as the main villain Shere Khan, which was announced yesterday.

Rohan Chand will lead the film as the story's main protagonist Mowgli, a young jungle boy raised in the wild by wolves. Cumberbatch's man-eating tiger is the boy's lifelong enemy, and the two have vowed to kill each other, setting up the dark tone at play in the original Rudyard Kipling novel.

Andy Serkis has given himself the primary role of Baloo the bear, Mowgli's best friend. Also joining the main cast are Christian Bale as sly black panther Bagheera and Cate Blanchett as Kaa, the sinister python with a knack for hypnotism.

The secondary cast includes Tom Hollander as the jackal Tabaqui, who is Shere Khan's right-hand man.

Warner Bros. has cast more characters for The Jungle Book: Origins, which marks the directorial debut of motion-capture performance artist and actor Andy Serkis. This follows the addition of Benedict Cumberbatch as the main villain Shere Khan, which was announced yesterday.

Rohan Chand will lead the film as the story's main protagonist Mowgli, a young jungle boy raised in the wild by wolves. Cumberbatch's man-eating tiger is the boy's lifelong enemy, and the two have vowed to kill each other, setting up the dark tone at play in the original Rudyard Kipling novel.

Andy Serkis has given himself the primary role of Baloo the bear, Mowgli's best friend. Also joining the main cast are Christian Bale as sly black panther Bagheera and Cate Blanchett as Kaa, the sinister python with a knack for hypnotism.

The secondary cast includes Tom Hollander as the jackal Tabaqui, who is Shere Khan's right-hand man.

The battle of The Jungle Books is getting fierce! Just yesterday, Warner Bros' Jungle Book adaptation made their first cast announcement, revealing Benedict Cumberbatch would be their Shere Khan. Quick to join him are Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan, Peter Mullan and Rohan Chand. THR revealed this avalanche of casting news over Warner Bros' Jungle Book: Origins. The directorial debut of motion-capture actor extraordinaire Andy Serkis will blend motion capture, CG animation and live action, and boasts a script by Callie Kloves, daughter of Harry Potter screenwriter Steve Kloves. As Disney has a live-action, Jon Favreau-helmed Jungle Book in the works to rival Warner Bros' Jungle Book: Origins, we've created a helpful image guide to keep straight the who's who of it all. As Baloo the bear, Bill Murray will face off against Andy Serkis, who is pulling double duty as performer and director.

A day after it was revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch would play the villainous Shere Khan in the film, Warner Bros. Pictures has released a full list of the cast for the Andy Serkis' helmed adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's "The Jungle Book".

Serkis, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Eddie Marsan, Tom Hollander and Peter Mullan are all set to join Cumberbatch and young "Bad Words" star Rohan Chand in the film which will employ a mix of motion capture, CG animation and live action.

"Jungle Book: Origins" follows an orphaned boy raised by wolves who befriends members of the animal kingdom who help him grow up. Callie Kloves wrote the script while Jonathan Cavendish will produce. The casting list is as follows:

Christian Bale as Bagheera the Panther

Cate Blanchett as Kaa the Python

Rohan Chand as Mowgli

Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan the Tiger

Naomie Harris as...

Huge news for Warner Bros. today as its Rudyard Kipling adaptation Jungle Book: Origins has just announced its main cast. Yesterday, we heard that Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch had joined the Andy Serkis-directed project as the voice of fearsome tiger Shere Khan, and now a menagerie of stars has also come aboard.

Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan and Peter Mullan will all take on the parts of animals in the titular jungle, while Rohan Chand (Bad Words) will play the human boy Mowgli. Serkis has also been confirmed to be taking on a role.

Callie Kloves, daughter of Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves, penned the script, while her father is on board in a producing capacity. The film will employ motion capture, CGI animation and live-action.

Serkis will play Baloo the bear, while Bale will voice the panther Bagheera. Both save Mowgli (Chand) from...

According to THR, joining Star Trek Into Darkness actor Benedict Cumberbatch (as yet another "Khan") in the Andy Serkis directed Jungle Book: Origins (yes, really) will be: Christian Bale as Begheera the panther, Cate Blanchett as Kaa the python, Naomie Harris as Nisha the wolf, Tom Hollander as Tabaqui the jackal, Eddie Marsan as Vihaan (Nisha's mate), Peter Mullan as the leader of the wolf pack, Akela, and Rohan Chand as Mowgli, the human boy. Serkis will also take on the role of Baloo the bear. The film will employ a mix of motion capture, CG animation and live-action to tell the classic tale -- much like the version Disney are also currently working on with Jon Favreau at the helm. The movie, which has a script by Callie Kloves and will be produced by her father Steve, is expected to hit theaters in October, 2016.

The voice of Benedict Cumberbatch is being lent to Andy Serkis' upcoming film of The Jungle Book...

There are, as you may already know, two new films of The Jungle Book currently in the works. One of them is being directed by Jon Favreau for Disney, and we'll get to see that first. It's due in 2015. Warner Bros, however, has its own take on the story coming, that Andy Serkis is making his directorial debut with.

Working from a script from Callie Kloves, Serkis' film isn't quite as far along the casting process as Favreau's. However, he's landed a useful name to voice the villanous tiger, Shere Khan.

Benedict Cumberbatch, who's also lent his voice to the upcoming The Penguins Of Madagascar, is to take on the role. Again, it's his voice that's being used, although given Serkis' beliefs on performance capture, it's likely that he'll at least have...

Warner Bros. has cast an entire zoo’s worth of actors for its adaptation of The Jungle Book, which Andy Serkis is directing. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris, Tom Hollander, Eddie Marsan and Peter Mullan are joining Benedict Cumberbatch to star as the animal characters in the feature. Rohan Chand, the young actor who starred opposite Jason Bateman in Bad Words, will star as the human boy Mowgli. Serkis will also take on a role. Callie Kloves wrote the script, adapting the Rudyard Kipling short stories, while her father, Steve Kloves, the screenwriter who wrote seven of the Harry Potter

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From Sherlock to Shere Khan, Benedict Cumberbatch's resume just got a bit longer. The Hollywood Reporter revealed today that the actor has been cast as the voice of the man-eating tiger in the upcoming Warner Bros.' film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book. So far very little has been announced about the highly anticipated flick—which has been tentatively titled Jungle Book: Origins—but we do know that Andy Serkis will be making his directorial debut for the film. Also, Callie Kloves wrote the script while her father, Steve Kloves, is on board to produce the darker-than-you-remember story. The Warner Bros. project is aiming to be vastly different than the...

As we already documented (see video above), Benedict Cumberbatch is a huge admirer of his "Hobbit" co-star Andy Serkis - and now he's re-teaming up with the man behind Gollum for the latter's directorial debut. The "Sherlock" star is set to voice villainous man-eating tiger Shere Khan in the upcoming Warner Bros. adaptation, which is based on Rudyard Kipling's classic stories, according to The Hollywood Reporter. The film will be a mixture of live-action and performance capture, the latter of which Serkis has become famous for thanks to his work on Peter Jackson's Tolkien films and in Fox's "Planet of the Apes" reboots. The Callie Kloves-scripted project is one of two "Jungle Book" films currently in development; Disney has a live-action/CGI version in the pipeline with Jon Favreau directing, Bill Murray (Baloo), Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Christopher Walken (King Louie), Giancarlo Esposito (Akela...

We’ve had a virtual ark’s worth of animal voice casting announcements for Jon Favreau’s Disney-backed take on a new Jungle Book film, yet heard very little about Andy Serkis’ competing project, Jungle Book: Origins for Warner Bros. That all changed today when The Hollywood Reporter revealed that Benedict Cumberbatch has agreed to lend his distinctive voice box to lethal tiger Shere Khan. Well, he has form playing characters called Khan, we suppose.So now we have a Khan-off in the making! In the red corner, there is Idris Elba’s apocalypse-cancelling gravelly goodness. In the blue? Cumberbatch’s Smaugy caramel tones. Who will make the best Shere Khan? Only time will tell, but you can weigh in below.Serkis is developing the movie to incorporate a blend of live action and performance capture, looking to make his directorial debut based on Callie Kloves’ script. Expect announcements soon about characters including Mowgli,...

"Sherlock" star Benedict Cumberbatch is set to play a different kind of Khan as he joins the voice cast of "Jungle Book: Origins" for Warner Bros. Pictures.

Cumberbatch will voice Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger and villain of Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of a boy named Mowgli who is raised by jungle animals.

Andy Serkis makes his directorial debut on the movie which is expected to be quite faithful to the dark material and sport an adult sensibility. Callie Kloves adapted the script.

The project is in competition with Jon Favreau's more family friendly adaptation at Disney Pictures. That version will star Idris Elba as the voice of Shere Kahn.

Source: Heat Vision...

The Jungle Book resides in the public domain, which means we'll be getting two adaptations in the next couple of years. One is coming from Disney and Iron Man director Jon Favreau, while the other is coming from Warner Bros. and Mo-Cap maven Andy Serkis, who makes his directorial debut with Jungle Book: Origins.

While Idris Elba is playing Shere Khan in Disney's The Jungle Book, it will be Benedict Cumberbatch who assumes the motion capture role of the deadly villain in Jungle Book: Origins.

Shere Khan is the man-eating tiger who likes to torment Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of a young jungle boy raised in the wild by wolves. The two are lifelong enemies, which each vowing to someday kill the other. This version of the movie will stay within the dark tone set by the original books, which also focuses on the characters Baloo the...

The Jungle Book resides in the public domain, which means we'll be getting two adaptations in the next couple of years. One is coming from Disney and Iron Man director Jon Favreau, while the other is coming from Warner Bros. and Mo-Cap maven Andy Serkis, who makes his directorial debut with Jungle Book: Origins.

While Idris Elba is playing Shere Khan in Disney's The Jungle Book, it will be Benedict Cumberbatch who assumes the motion capture role of the deadly villain in Jungle Book: Origins.

Shere Khan is the man-eating tiger who likes to torment Mowgli in Rudyard Kipling's classic tale of a young jungle boy raised in the wild by wolves. The two are lifelong enemies, which each vowing to someday kill the other. This version of the movie will stay within the dark tone set by the original books, which also focuses on the characters Baloo the...

Director Andy Serkis has cast Benedict Cumberbatch in Warner Bros. big screen adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book. This is the first casting announcement for this film, and the actor will provide the voice for Shere Khan, the villainous man-eating tiger, and his voice is perfect for the character!

Jungle Book is based on the short stories written by Kipling that center on Mowgli, "an orphaned boy raised by wolves who befriends Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther. The tiger Shere Khan is a lifelong enemy of Mowgli’s, with each vowing to slay the other."

The script for the film was written by Callie Kloves. Her father is Steve Kloves, who worked on the Harry Potter movies, and he is producing Jungle Book.

The Warners Bros. adaptation of this story is competing against Disney’s adaptation, which has been fully cast with Jon Favreau directing.

Benedict Cumberbatch is to provide his voice for an upcoming Jungle Book adaptation.

The Sherlock actor will voice villainous tiger Shere Khan in Warner Bros's new version of Rudyard Kipling's story.

Andy Serkis is making his directorial debut with Jungle Book: Origins, which follows a boy named Mowgli who is raised by jungle animals.

The script has been written by Callie Kloves, with her father Steve Kloves producing.

It will compete with Disney's own new adaptation, with Jon Favreau directing and Idris Elba voicing Shere Khan.

Cumberbatch has also worked with Serkis in Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy of films, with the former voicing the dragon Smaug.

Jungle Book: Origins will arrive in cinemas on October 21, 2016, a year after Disney's version, which is released on October 9, 2015.

Coincidentally, this is not the first Khan that Benedict Cumberbatch has played, after he previously starred as the tiger's villainous namesake in Star Trek Into Darkness.

Though Disney clearly has the lead in the race to adapt Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book into a big-budget blockbuster, Warner Bros. is quietly moving along with its own take, now officially titled Jungle Book: Origins. Andy Serkis is making his directorial debut on the pic, after having served as Peter Jackson’s second unit director on the Hobbit trilogy. Now, the first voice lead for the film has been announced - Sherlock actor Benedict Cumberbatch will be lending his voice to the fearsome tiger Shere Khan.

Jungle Book: Origins centers on an orphaned human boy Mowgli, who is raised by wolves and eventually befriends the bear Baloo and the panther Bagheera. Khan, a vicious predator, is Mowgli’s sworn enemy, and each has vowed to slay the other.

Callie Kloves penned the script. Her father Steve, who penned seven out of eight Harry Potter films, is on board as a producer.

As of now, the only Jungle Book film we've heard anything about was that of Jon Favreau's Disney iteration. On Warner Bros.. side, we knew that Andy Serkis would be making his directorial debut in helming a most-likely darker (than Disney's) adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling story. However, they've now stepped up their game with a whopper of a name in Benedict Cumberbatch for the voice of the man-eating tiger, Shere Khan. The script was written by Callie Kloves, daughter of Steve Kloves...

Briefly: In typical Hollywood fashion, there have been two adaptations of The Jungle Book brewing at Disney and Warner Bros. The former seems to be further along with a full cast, including the recent addition of Bill Murray as Baloo the bear. But now the latter has some legs, and won't have to worry about the proximity of Disney's take on the tale. While The Jungle Book arrives on October 9th, 2015, Warner Bros. has set Jungle Book: Origins, the directorial debut of motion-capture master Andy Serkis and writing debut of Callie Kloves, for release a year and one week later on October 21st, 2016. No cast has been announced, but we're interested to see how this differs from Disney's take, and if people will be interested.

Though Disney’s Jon Favreau-helmed adaptation of the Rudyard Kipling classic The Jungle Book, which just added Bill Murray to its all-star voice cast yesterday, is clearly in better shape than its rival project at Warner Bros., WB’s Andy Serkis-directed film is also taking steps forward. Recently, the studio announced that the movie’s title had been updated from The Jungle Book to Jungle Book: Origins.

Though that title does sound a little bit impersonal (and conjures up unfortunate memories of X-Men Origins: Wolverine), the change was necessary for Warner Bros.’ film to distance itself from the competition. The Origins subtitle also suggests (not that we needed the hint) that Warner Bros. is clearly angling for a franchise based on Kipling’s novel.

Serkis will make his directorial debut on Jungle Book: Origins, but the acclaimed mo-cap actor has already racked up some impressive credits...

After Universal and 20th Century Fox issued new release dates today, Warner Bros. is getting in on the action by handing out an October 21, 2016 release date for The Jungle Book: Origins, which marks the feature directorial debut of Andy Serkis.

This adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic novel will go up against an unspecified horror project from Blumhouse Films on October 21, 2016. The movie will also hit theaters exactly one year and one week after Disney's The Jungle Book animated adaptation, which has Idris Elba, Scarlett Johansson, Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley, Christopher Walken and Giancarlo Esposito confirmed as voice cast members, with newcomer Neel Sethi playing Mowgli in the only live-action role.

The story centers on Mowgli, a young boy who lives in the woods and is raised by wolves. Rudyard Kipling's novel was written in 1894 and is in the public domain, which allows two rival studios such as...

With Disney’s live-action/VFX take on The Jungle Book set for October 2015, Warner Bros has staked out a date a year later for its take on the Rudyard Kipling classic about an orphaned boy raised by animals in the wilderness. Now officially titled Jungle Book: Origins, the pic has been slated for October 21, 2016. Andy Serkis is set to direct the live-action film, to which Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu had been in talks to helm last year. The script is by Callie Kloves, daughter of Harry Potter series scribe Steve Kloves, who is producing. It’ll go up against Universal’s Untitled […]...