By Creative Media Times

Initially slated for a October 19 theatrical release, Warner Bros film “Mowgli” is now coming to Netflix in 2019, Variety is reporting.

Netflix has done similar acquisitions of high profile films in the past, including “Mudbound, which premiered on the streaming service as well as in New York City and Los Angeles last November, and Paramount Pictures films “The Cloverfield Paradox” which was release immediately after the Super Bowl LII and “Annihilation,” which was released both on Netflix and theatrically earlier this year.

The film is directed by Andy Serkis, who is best known for his performance capture roles in The Lord of the Rings film trilogy.

The story is based on The Jungle Book by Rudyard Kipling, thought the film’s trailers seem to show a more grittier take on the classic story. “Witness the darkest retelling of the beloved masterpiece,” the tagline appears on the trailer.

Rohan Chand is the titular character while Serkis plays Baloo. They are joined by Cate Blanchett as Kaa, Christian Bale as Bagheera, Matthew Rhys as John Lockwood, and Benedict Cumberbatch who plays fearsome tiger Shere Khan, the main antagonist in the book.

Here is the synopsis for the film:

“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.”