Hollywood
Andy ‘Gollum’ Serkis of LOTR fame to helm ‘Jungle Book’ for Warner Bros
MUMBAI: Andy Serkis, the quirky actor, best known for portraying the role of the infamous creature ‘Gollum’ in the Lord of the Rings films has been roped in to direct Warner Bros’ live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling much loved classic, Jungle Book.
Before Serkis, Alejandro Gonzales Inarritu (Babel) and Ron Howard (Rush) were attached to the project, but the former stepped out due to scheduling conflicts.
Warner Bros faces tough competition with this venture, since Disney also has a live-action Jungle Book adaptation already in the casting stage.
Warner Bros’ Jungle Book marks the directorial debut for the critically acclaimed actor. Serkis previously worked with Peter Jackson on The Hobbit films in the Second Unit Direction team. Jackson entrusted Serkis with the job after he developed a command of CG technology through his acting prowess not only in the Lord of the Rings films, but also in Jackson’s King Kong, Steven Spielberg’s The Adventures of Tintin and the new Planet of the Apes movies.
Jungle Book tells the story of a boy is raised by wolves in the Indian Jungle with the help of Baloo the bear and Bagheera the black panther and then has to fight the tiger Shere Khan.
Hollywood
Iger’s final act: Disney boss wraps up epic saga with a new captain at the helm
After 15 turbulent years, two stints in the c-suite, and billions spent on blockbuster acquisitions, Bob Iger is stepping away from the Magic Kingdom.
CALIFORNIA: The 75-year-old chief, hailed as one of the most transformative leaders in modern media, officially hands over to former parks chief Josh D’Amaro on 18 March. And this time, he’s getting the succession right.
Iger’s legacy glitters with big bets and epic wins: the $7.4bn Pixar buy, $4bn Marvel swoop, and the colossal $71bn 21st Century Fox deal. He dragged Disney into the streaming age, fought off activist investor Nelson Peltz, and saw off a political scrap with Florida governor Ron DeSantis.
But it hasn’t all been pixie dust. The forced return of Iger in 2022—after the short, shaky reign of successor Bob Chapek—tarnished an otherwise stellar run.
Now, D’Amaro takes the wheel with a streamlined leadership team and Disney firing on all cylinders. The firm’s streaming business is in the black, theme-park attendance is soaring, and five global films have hit $1billion at the box office in the past two years. Not bad for a firm that was on the ropes just months ago.
D’Amaro’s first move? A slick reorg under new president and chief creative officer Dana Walden, folding film, tv, streaming and gaming into one punchy unit. Sean Shoptaw, heading up the gaming division, now reports directly to Walden—bringing Fortnite and Epic Games collaborations closer to Disney’s creative heart.
Iger isn’t sailing off into the sunset just yet. He’ll keep busy with Angel City FC, the women’s football club he owns with his wife. And as Ann Mooney Murphy of Stevens Institute predicts: “A guy like that never truly retires.”
One era ends. Another begins. And the House of Mouse bets big on a future beyond the king.
