LOS ANGELES, Nov 9 — Landing December 7 on Netflix, Andy Serkis’ The Jungle Book adaptation has its first trailer, revealing a darker tale than Disney’s 2016 adaptation directed by Jon Favreau.

After playing Gollum in Peter Jackson’s The Lord of the Rings trilogy, Serkis has now directed his second feature film, Mowgli, which comes a year after the romantic drama Breathe, starring Andrew Garfield and Claire Foy.

The director’s latest movie is based on the Rudyard Kipling literary classic, which has been brought to the big screen on previous occasions. However, this latest version appears to be closer to the original book, promising a darker tale than the 2016 Disney adaptation, which stayed closer to the 1967 animation. The movie includes characters voiced by the likes of Benedict Cumberbatch, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Andy Serkis himself, who plays Baloo the bear.

Initially being produced by Warner Bros, Mowgli was delayed several times before finally being sold to the streaming giant, Netflix. The movie will go online December 7 but, as with Alfonso Cuaron’s Roma and the Coen brothers’ The Ballad of Buster Scruggs, a limited theatrical release is on the cards to ensure eligibility for the 2019 Oscars.

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Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle is up for limited theatrical release November 29 in Los Angeles, New York, San Francisco and London. After the official release, it is expected to screen in other US and UK cities. — AFP-Relaxnews