Netflix recently announced that they’ve acquired the rights to Mowgli, the protagonist of the classic Jungle Book series of stories.
Talking specifics, Netflix has acquired the rights to the Warner Bros’ series of live action movies based on the Jungle Book and directed by Andy Serkis, known for his motion-capture work on characters such as Gollum, from the Lords of the Rings. The Warner Brothers’ made Jungle Book film was originally planned for theatrical release, later this year before Netflix acquired the rights.
Netflix in the past has acquired rights to projects prior to release, including Paramount Pictures’ The Cloverfield Paradox. It is being speculated that Warner Brothers’ selling the rights to the yet-be-released Mowgli movie is due to the studio’s lack of confidence in the film.
Mowgli was originally meant to come out around the time Disney released their live action interpretation on the Jungle Book, however, Disney’s movie proved to come out prior, ultimately grossing an impressive $966 million worldwide.
In a statement to Deadline, Serkies said, “We found ourselves in this race with Disney and there was a [time] when we were neck and neck, in who would come first,” Further adding, “Both studios wanted to be first.” By bringing Mowgli to Netflix, rather than aiming for a traditional theatrical release, “we avoid comparisons to the other movie and it’s a relief not to have the pressure.”
Netflix will be releasing the movie sometime in 2019 on to their streaming service.
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