There is a binary opposite to every element on this planet. There are two sides to every tale. And The Jungle Book is no exception. Mowgli, directed by Andy Serkis, is the downbeat version of the tale. It is based on Rudyard Kipling’s 19th Century tale of the man-cub that grew up among animals of the jungle in India.
Major efforts have been made by the studio to differentiate the movie from the previous adaptations of the movie. The recent one being Disney’s 2016 blockbuster The Jungle Book generated $966 million at the box office worldwide.
The movie also has an impressive star cast – Andy Serkis as Baloo, Benedict Cumberbatch as the dreaded man-eater Shere Khan, Cate Blanchett as the manipulative snake Kaa, Christian Bale as Bagheera, Matthew Rhys as John Lockwood and Rohan Chand as Mowgli.
“This is trying to delve into Kipling’s book and the journey for Mowgli as an outsider, as an other, trying to find his identity,” said Serkis at the CinemaCon last month.
The trailer of the dark tale sets out showing Mowgli imprisoned in a wooden cage. Voiced by Christian Bale, Bagheera says “When you were a cub, I looked you in the eye and saw no fear.”
Warner Bros. will release Mowgli on Oct. 19. Watch the trailer below: