Andy Serkis set to direct The Jungle Book for Warner Bros.

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

Andy Serkis is going from Gollum and apes to the director’s chair.

If your first thought is ”Does he have any experience?” allow me to dazzle you. While this is the feature directorial debut for the actor, he actually served as second unit director on Peter Jackson’s HOBBIT flicks. Remember the awesome barrel chase scene? That was his work.

Keep in mind that there are two competing JUNGLE BOOK projects. One is set up over at Disney with Jon Favreau set as director, and Idris Elba as the voice of Shere Khan. This version is set up over at Warner Brothers. Both are live action adaptations of the original book written by Rudyard Kipling. Callie Kloves, daughter of HARRY POTTER writer Steve Kloves, is penning the script. Her father will serve as producer.

This puts Warner Bros. back in the game after they had lost their first choice Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu (BABEL). Ron Howard was in talks at one point, but it fell through.

The studio plans to get as close to the original source material as possible. The story centers on, ”Mowgli, an orphaned boy raised by wolves who befriends Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther as he spars with the ferocious tiger Shere Khan.”

You guys like this choice?