7 Huge Upcoming Movies (That Are Massive Gambles)

Reported budget: unconfirmed

Release date: 19th October 2018

Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book is, of course, a well-loved story. It's served Disney very well in the past, having been the basis of both their 1967 animated classic, and the 2016 live-action/CGI crossover from director Jon Farveau, which took just over $966 million at the global box office, for which a sequel is anticipated.

However, are audiences really so enamoured with Mowgli and company that they'll be keen to go and see another adaptation of the same story so soon - even with a big name cast involved?

Marking the directorial debut of actor and esteemed master of mo-cap Andy Serkis, Mowgli (initially entitled Jungle Book: Orgins) has been in the works since before Disney's last take on The Jungle Book hit screens.

The very respectable cast includes Christian Bale as Bhageera, Benedict Cumberbatch as Shere Khan, Cate Blanchett as Kaa, and Serkis himself as Baloo, and we're told the film will offer a darker, harder-edged take on the material closer to Kipling's original text (as reflected by the PG-13 rating it's been given in the US).

That's all well and good, but is the wider audience likely to be on board? It's all too easy to see the film being confused for a sequel to the Disney movie, or for unsuspecting parents to assume it will be every bit as kid-friendly as the existing versions.

With that cast and Serkis as director, critical interest will be there for sure - but does Mowgli really have the makings of a box office hit?