Dublin actor Jack Reynor has been cast alongside Oscar winners Christian Bale and Cate Blanchett and Oscar nominee Benedict Cumberbatch in an adaptation of ‘The Jungle Book’ to be helmed by Andy Serkis in his directorial debut.
Principal photography has begun on Warner Bros. Pictures’ new big-screen, 3D adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s beloved classic, which will blend live action and performance capture.
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.
Jack Reynor is slated to play the role of Mowgli’s Brother Wolf, one of the story’s central animal characters. Rohan Chand will play Mowgli, the boy raised by wolves.
The film is being produced by Steve Kloves, who wrote seven of the blockbuster ‘Harry Potter’ films, and Jonathan Cavendish (‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’, ‘Bridget Jones: The Edge of Reason’), with Nikki Penny (‘Gravity’) serving as executive producer. The screenplay is by Callie Kloves, based on the stories by Kipling.
Among those collaborating with Serkis behind the scenes are production designer Gary Freeman (‘Cinderella’), Oscar-winning editor Mark Sanger (‘Gravity’) and Oscar-winning costume designer Alexandra Byrne (‘Elizabeth: The Golden Age’).
The film is slated for release beginning October 6, 2017.
Jack Reynor has also starred in ‘Glassland’, the Irish feature film directed by Gerard Barrett, which will be released to Irish cinemas on April 17th. The film will also screen at JDIFF later this month.
