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A30 PEOPLE & ARTS
Saturday 8 december 2018
After a long, bumpy journey, 'Mowgli' settles in at Netflix

By LINDSEY BAHR (he's now 14), opposite
Associated Press heavyweight actors like
LOS ANGELES (AP) — To Bale, who plays Bagheera,
say Andy Serkis has been Blanchett as Kaa, Benedict
through the ringer with his Cumberbatch as Shere
adaptation of Rudyard Khan, Naomie Harris as Ni-
Kipling's "The Jungle Book" is sha and Serkis himself as
a bit of an understatement. Baloo.
It was always going to be "I actually grew up read-
an ambitious project for a ing Rudyard Kipling short
first time director — dark, stories," Chand said. "I love
intense and more in the Mowgli. He was almost like
spirit of Kipling's stories, with my hero in a way."
a big studio (Warner Bros.) In order to see through Ser-
behind it, a blockbuster kis's grand vision, Chand
budget, A-list talent to had to essentially shoot the
match, from Christian Bale film twice. First with the "A''
to Cate Blanchett, and all talent like Bale and Cum-
the high-pressure stakes berbatch, wearing motion
that go along with that. capture tech on their faces
But five years ago when he and arms, and then again
signed up to direct, Serkis on location with a different
didn't know that Walt Dis- set of actors mimicking the
ney Studios would soon be In this Nov. 28, 2018 photo, Andy Serkis, left, and Rohan Chand pose for a portrait at the Four movements of the jungle
Seasons Hotel in Los Angeles to promote their film "Mowgli: Legend of the Jungle," streaming on
announcing its own live- Nextflix on Friday, Dec. 7. animals.
action Jungle Book, which Associated Press "Rohan was extraordinary,"
would beat his to theaters Serkis said of his young
by over two years and be- for anybody," Serkis said on gle" which debuts on the see his passion project. star who he helped guide
come a nearly billion dol- a recent afternoon. "It re- streaming service Friday. The Callie Kloves-written through some intense
lar box-office sensation. ally did go through a mas- The affable Serkis, kind and screenplay takes the Mow- scenes, emotionally and
And no one would have sively long journey." soft-spoken, who made his gli myth away from the sun- physically. "He had to en-
guessed that at the 11th- Serkis was even able to name as a pioneering tal- ny, toe-tapping Disney ver- dure real physical pain and
hour this summer, after pro- direct another movie ent in motion capture per- sions, and back to Kipling's a lot of technical challeng-
motions had already be- ("Breathe") and star in at formance in "The Lord of original vision of the boy es which he did with great
gun, his own studio would least one ("War for the Plan- the Rings," ''The Hobbit" and raised by wolves. ease."q
sell his version to Netflix. et of the Apes") during the "The Planet of the Apes" Actor Rohan Chand ("Lone
"This wasn't the easiest ride post production for "Mow- films, is just excited people Survivor") was brought on
gli: Legend of the Jun- are finally going to get to to lead the film at age 10

Mellencamp puts fearless touch on

American classics

dium-scale rocker with an
adventurous spirit.
He mostly fell short of the
stature attained by con-
temporaries named Bruce
Springsteen and Tom Pet-
ty, but he sometimes took
bigger risks.
Mellencamp's fearlessness
is well-represented on his
latest album, "Other Peo-
ple's Stuff," a collection of
cover songs, some of them
American classics, from
four decades of work.
There's a version of "Keep
Your Eyes on the Prize,"
the old civil rights anthem,
This cover image released by Republic Records shows "Other which Mellencamp intro-
People's Stuff," the latest release by John Mellencamp. duced at a White House
Associated Press event in 2010. Mellen-
camp's gentle interpre-
By SCOTT STROUD In his youth John Mellen- tation may surprise those
Associated Press camp was known to be not expecting such soulful
John Mellencamp, "Other cocky. That brashness car- notes out of a white man
People's Stuff" (Republic ried him to the big stage, from the heartland.q
Records) where he became a sta-