Mowgli joins Netflix lineup

Originally titled just Mowgli, Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is a liveaction/motion-capture version of The Jungle Book originally set for a 2016 release, which would have put it in direct competition with Disney’s version, released in April of that year. But between wanting to create space between The Jungle Book and needing extra time in post-production, the date kept getting pushed, until Netflix bought the rights last summer and settled on a winter streaming release with a brief theatrical opening at the same time. Andy Serkis (of Lord of the Rings motioncapture fame) directs and also performs as Baloo the bear, alongside Christian Bale as a black panther, Benedict Cumberbatch as a tiger, and Cate Blanchett as a python. Child actor Rohan Chand joins them as Mowgli. It is streaming on Netflix.