Last week, I got to go to London to speak with directorAndy Serkisabout his new movie,Mowgli. Based onRuyard Kipling’sThe Jungle Book, this new adaptation promises a darker take that’s closer to Kipling’s collection of short stories as it follows the human child Mowgli (Rohan Chand) who is raised by wolf pack but eventually becomes torn between his life in the jungle and the world of men.
During our conversation, Andy Serkis talked about what exactly makes his movie a darker adaptation ofThe Jungle Book, weaving Indian culture into the narrative, what it’s like doing mo-cap for animals that aren’t hominids like in theApesmovies, how they did the mo-cap in three stages, working with Rohan Chand, and why the biggest secret about mo-cap is that there is no secret.
Check out the full interview above with a list of what we talked about below, andclick hereto see theMowglitrailer.Mowgliopens October 19th and also starsChristian Baleas the cunning panther, Bagheera;Cate Blanchettas the sinister snake, Kaa;Benedict Cumberbatchas the fearsome tiger, Shere Khan;Naomie Harrisas Nisha, the female wolf, who adopts the baby Mowgli as one of her cubs;Andy Serkisas the wise bear, Baloo;Peter Mullanas the leader of the wolf pack, Akela;Jack Reynoras Mowgli’s Brother Wolf;Eddie Marsanas Nisha’s mate, Vihaan; andTom Hollanderas the scavenging hyena, Tabaqui.
Andy Serkis:
Here’s the official synopsis forMowgli:
“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.”
