Benedict Cumberbatch is ‘really scary’ as Shere Khan in Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book

The Jungle Book is set in the forests of India and is the story of a young boy who was raised by jungle animals. His best friend is a bear named Baloo and his well-wisher, a black panther Bagheera. The book follows his tense relationship with Shere Khan who vows to kill the boy, just as he had killed his parents and orphaned the boy.

“It’s amazing, Benedict’s ­phenomenal. He’s really scary. It’s a grounded, full-of-rage, brilliant performance. What’s brilliant about his performance is he’s not just a black-and-white villain,” Serkis told mirror.co.uk.

“Bizarrely, you actually feel his point of view. It’s quite a nuanced performance. You’ll see him in a new light. The Sherlock fans will be surprised, definitely,” he added.

The Warner Bros project will follow Disney’s own live-action film The Jungle Book, which released in 2016 and featured voices of Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Lupita Nyong’o and Scarlett Johansson.

Also Read |  Andy Serkis’ ‘Jungle Book’ will be darker than Disney’s

Besides Cumberbatch, other actors who have lent their voices for different roles in the film include Rohan Chand, Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Tom Hallender. Andy had also featured as Gollum in the Lord of the Rings trilogy. He has worked with Warner Bros on his own interpretation of author Rudyard Kipling’s ­fables, written in 1894.

Jungle Book: Origins is slated for release on 18th October 2018.