Netflix and Andy Serkis bring ‘Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle’ tale to life in new trailer

The long-awaited Mowgli film from actor/director Andy Serkis (War for the Planet of the Apes, Breathe) is arriving with a new title, a new release date and a theatrical run ahead of its Netflix premiere. 

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle, as it’s now known, has had a rocky road getting to this point. The film began production talks at Warner Bros. back in 2012 with principal photography beginning under director Andy Serkis in 2015. The film was set for a fall 2016 release but numerous delays, from perfecting visual effects to WB wanting to distance itself from Disney’s own Jungle Book reboot (which won the Visual Effects Oscar), the film changed hands this summer when Netflix bought the rights to the theatrical and streaming presentation.

Today arrives a new chapter and a new trailer of the classic Rudyard Kipling tale that stars the award-winning voice talents of Oscar winners Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Oscar nominees Benedict Cumberbatch and Naomie Harris, Emmy winner Matthew Rhys, Screen Actors Guild winner Freida Pinto and Serkis himself.

Official synopsis:

Acclaimed actor and director Andy Serkis reinvents Rudyard Kipling’s beloved masterpiece, in which a boy torn between two worlds accepts his destiny and becomes a legend. Mowgli (Rohan Chand) has never truly belonged in either the wilds of the jungle or the civilized world of man. Now he must navigate the inherent dangers of each on a journey to discover where he truly belongs. Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, Andy Serkis, Freida Pinto, Matthew Rhys and Naomie Harris lead an all-star cast along with newcomer Rohan Chand in this visually spectacular and emotionally moving adventure.

Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle will have exclusive limited theatrical engagements starting November 29th in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco, and London, continuing Netflix’s efforts to offer their films to a traditional theatrical audience before its streaming debut.  The film will then be released globally on Netflix on December 7th and will have an expanded theatrical release in additional theaters in the U.S. and UK.