Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale Head the Ensemble of Warner Bros. Pictures' 3D Adventure "Jungle Book: Origins"

Benedict Cumberbatch, Cate Blanchett and Christian Bale Head the Ensemble of Warner Bros. Pictures' 3D Adventure "Jungle Book: Origins"

LONDON, August 21, 2014 /PRNewswire/ --



Young actor Rohan Chand to star as Mowgli in the cast, also including Peter


Mullan, Tom Hollander, Naomi Harris, Eddie Marsan, and Andy Serkis



Warner Bros. Pictures has assembled an impressive roster of stars for "Jungle Book:
Origins," its new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's classic The Jungle Book,
marking the feature film directorial debut of Andy Serkis. The action adventure, which
will blend motion capture and live action, will be released on October 21, 2016. The
announcement was made today by Greg Silverman, President, Creative Development and
Worldwide Production, and Sue Kroll, President, Worldwide Marketing and International
Distribution, Warner Bros. Pictures.



The actors performing the roles of the story's central animal characters are: Benedict
Cumberbatch ("The Hobbit: The Desolation of Smaug") as the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan;
Oscar winner Cate Blanchett ("Blue Jasmine") as the sinister snake, Kaa; Oscar winner
Christian Bale ("The Fighter," the "Dark Knight" Trilogy) as the cunning panther,
Bagheera; Andy Serkis ("Dawn of the Planet of the Apes") as the wise bear, Baloo; Peter
Mullan ("Hercules") as the leader of the wolf pack, Akela; Tom Hollander as the scavenging
hyena, Tabaqui; Naomie Harris ("Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom") as Nisha, the female wolf,
who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs; Eddie Marsan ("Ray Donovan") as Nisha's
mate, Vihaan; and Jack Reynor ("Transformers: Age of Extinction") as Mowgli's Brother
Wolf. On the human side, young actor Rohan Chand ("The Hundred-Foot Journey," "Bad Words")
will play the boy raised by wolves, Mowgli.



The film is being produced by Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the blockbuster "Harry
Potter" films. Jonathan Cavendish ("Elizabeth: The Golden Age," performance capture
producer "Godzilla") is also serving as a producer. The screenplay is by Kloves' daughter,
Callie Kloves, based on the stories by Kipling.



The story follows the upbringing of the human child Mowgli, raised by a wolf pack in
the jungles of India. As he learns the often harsh rules of the jungle, under the tutelage
of a bear named Baloo and a panther named Bagheera, Mowgli becomes accepted by the animals
of the jungle as one of their own. All but one: the fearsome tiger Shere Khan. But there
may be greater dangers lurking in the jungle, as Mowgli comes face to face with his human
origins.




For more information, please contact:
Warner Bros. UK Publicity
Louisa Radcliffe
+44(0)207-984-5000
Louisa.radcliffe@warnerbros.com


Warner Bros Entertainment


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