Coming on the 7th of December is Netflix Original Mowgli: The Legend of the Jungle. While there are many films to release over the holidays season, we’re really excited to watch Andy Serkis’ take on the classic story. Here’s What’s On Netflix’s preview for Mowgli: The Legend of the Jungle.
Mowgli: The Legend of the Jungle is based on Rudyard Kipling’s novel The Jungle Book. Instead of cartoon animation, the film uses both live action and CGI Motion Capture. Directed by legendary motion capture actor Andy Serkis, visually we can expect this film to be fantastic.
What is the plot?
It probably sounds silly to question what is the plot of a Jungle Book movie. But as Rudyard Kipling’s novel has been adapted in so many different ways it’s good to get a clear idea as to whether or not it follows the original novel or goes on its own narrative.
But like many other adaptations, the story follows the orphan Mowgli who is raised by a Wolfpack living in the jungle. As he grows he is taught the rules and hardships of Jungle life by the Black Panther Bagheera and Baloo the Bear. The animals welcome him into the jungle as a member of the animal kingdom except for the fearsome tiger Shere Khan and the hyena Tabaqui. As the dangers of the Jungle threatens the life of Mowgli, to find safety he will have to face his origins as a human and seek shelter with the humans.
Who is in the cast?
The movie has a star-studded cast of very talented voice actors. The core cast is the following:
| Role | Actor/Actress | Where have I seen them before? |
|---|---|---|
| Mowgli | Rohan Chand | Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Bad Words, The Hundred-Foot Journey |
| Shere Khan | Benedict Cumberbatch | The Imitation Game, Doctor Strange, Star Trek: Into Darkness |
| Bagheera | Christian Bale | The Dark Knight, American Hustle, The Fighter |
| Tabaqui | Tom Hollander | Pirates of the Caribbean, Pride & Prejudice, In the Loop |
| Kaa | Cate Blanchett | The Lord of The Rings, Thor: Ragnarok, Carol |
| Baloo | Andy Serkis | The Lord of the Rings, King Kong, Planet of the Apes |
| Akela | Peter Mullen | Trainspotting, Children of Men, Tyrannosaur |
| Nisha | Naomie Harris | Moonlight, 28 Days Later, Skyfall |
| Messua | Freida Pinto | Slumdog Millionaire, Rise of the Planet of the Apes, Immortals |
Why has the film taken so long to release?
Warner Brothers are the production company that handled the making of this film. It had been in development since 2012 and many directors and producers had been connected to the development of it. In early 2014 it was finally announced that Andy Serkis would take on the job to direct and produce while also starring as Baloo the Bear.
Many of the cast had in fact been announced in the Summer of 2014 and over the course of the ensuing months, more cast members had been announced. It wasn’t until March 2015 that principal photography would begin. A lot of time has gone into the post-production of the film to which this caused some delays to ensure the quality of the visual effects. The continued work on in post-production delayed the original October 2016 release date.
Throughout the development of the film, the working title had been changed numerous times until they settled upon Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle. The delays in the release would have most likely helped the film, as Disney had only just released their live adaptation back in 2016. The film had been scheduled to release in October of this year but in July it was announced that Netflix had purchased the worldwide distribution rights so the release date was changed once again.
Andy Serkis as Baloo (Left) and Rohan Chand as Mowgli (Right)
The Trailer
At the time of writing the trailer only just came out last week. After viewing it, we cannot wait for its release!
When is the release date?
Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle will release worldwide on the 7th of December!
Are you excited for Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle? Let us know in the comments below!
