Andy Serkis' competing Jungle Book adaptation heats up with Christian Bale, Cate Blanchet, and Naomie Harris cast.
Warner Bros. continues to push ahead with Jungle Book: Origins, which will go head-to-head with Disney/Jon Favreau’s own take on the Rudyard Kipling classic, The Jungle Book. And they’ve added casting power to its already formidable production.
Having previously announced this week that Benedict Cumberbatch will voice Shere Khan (not to be confused with Idris Elba taking on that jungle cat purr at Disney), WB has now also cast 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, that Andy Serkis.
Serkis, who is playing Baloo, now has the vocal support of Bale who will take on the fierce growl of Bagheera, a panther that helps Baloo save young Mowgli (Rohan Chand) after he is orphaned in the jungle.
Blanchet will voice the python Kaa, another Mowgli ally, and who is being voiced by Scarlett Johansson in the Disney/Favreau production. Hollander meanwhile will play an underling jackle of Shere Khan, and Mullan, Harris, and Marsan will voice the wolves that raise Mowgli in the jungles.
This is such a stacked cast that it is easy to believe things are going to go bananas when it is released October 21, 2016.
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