The new Jungle Book

[Bill1978]

Isn't Walken's character a Giganto... because that species has been found in India but Orang-utan isn't? Which would make King Louis the Loch Ness of Indian jungles

[Ben]

Didn't the Loch Ness Monster turn out to be Jack the Ripper?

[Dacey]

Well, here's the trailer for Mowgli, and it looks...like the 2016 Disney version?

http://animatedviews.com/2018/76181/

[Ben]

Gosh...they’re really dumb not to promote this as "from director Andy Serkis".

And after all the hype and "next level" talk, I’m surprisingly...underwhelmed...?

[Dacey]

Welp, so much for this getting a wide theatrical run...

https://deadline.com/2018/07/netflix-mo ... 202434903/

[Ben]

What IS it with this movie!? It’s like it’s been cursed since Day One. I wonder if any of the cast or Serkis have grounds to sue? I’m guessing they all get nice severance packages but at the end of the day they signed for a major Warners theatrical release, not a "TV movie", to use Spielberg’s term for Netflix's "originals" offerings...

Okay, it was never really needed, and probably wouldn’t compete with the Disney/Favreau version, but the thing deserves a chance...unless it’s really, really embarrassingly bad. Can’t be that bad...can it...?

[Dacey]

This movie was definitely meant to be seen on the big screen due to its eye candy aspect, but then again, I don't see why films should "premiere" on Netflix anyway, as it strikes me as money being left on the table.

And Disney's doing the same thing for their LATT remake. Doesn't make sense as that could easily be a $100 million+ domestic earner, with double the amount worldwide. And they're apparently going to be doing the same thing with Star Wars films.

Exclusive TV shows? I get that. But "theatrical" movies essentially being sent to (premium, I suppose) cable? That sucks as far as I'm concerned.

[EricJ]

Normally, we still say that a failed Not-Coming-To-a-Theater-Near-You release would be going "Direct to video", except that studios, of course, don't believe that home video exists anymore.
So now they "premiere" it on a streaming service (which are starving enough for movies that DO play theaters), and hope we won't remember "Say, didn't we see a trailer for Duck Duck Goose in the theater?..."

It's one thing to do competing Snow White or Truman Capote movies, but whatever really-wanted-to-direct-CGI ambitions Serkis had in taking on Disney's '16 Jungle Book, it was a suicide mission from the start.
Still, it doesn't help the Adam Sandler/JJ Abrams image of the "Netflix Originals: Where Movies Go to Die" trash bin--
And if Disney's still hoping to add prestige to their "Disneyflix Originals" now that they're dumping the less expensive live-action remakes (Tim Burton and Will Smith have to pay for themselves), someone should try to crush those hopes early. We know why they downgraded "Lady & the Tramp", and it's no good to pretend at this point.

("But L&tT could make $100M...In China!" Uh, yeah, and "Sword in the Stone", from the one Walt didn't even like?)

[Dacey]

Except that it was never Andy Serkis's goal to "take on Disney's Jungle Book," so...

[Ben]

Don’t worry, Dace. It is in EricWorld...

[EricJ]

Except that it was never Andy Serkis's goal to "take on Disney's Jungle Book," so...

Are you that determined to take EVERYTHING that literally?

(Seriously, you've been getting these wrong for the last few threads, you might want to take a break and dial back a bit on the diligent up-to-the-minute Eric-policing, it's starting to show a bit of strain...
And if you keep rolling your eyes in every single response, they'll stick like that.)

[Sid Philips]

The Favreau Jungle Book is by far, the best film version of Jungle Book ever made (and it's been made over a half dozen times). I wish they'd left the Bare Necessities song out, but the re-use of the score themes and the King Louis song was very well done. The Disney cartoon has some fun animation, but is a LOUSY movie from a story point of view. Favraeu improves on it at every level. Outstanding film.

The WB "Mowgli" movie looks dreadful, however.