The mischievous ‘Mowgli’ and his jungle friends, including his bear companion ‘Baloo’, will once again be reincarnated on the big screen.
But this time, in a high-definition stereoscopic 3D (with wearable glasses for viewing pleasure) animated feature-film format.
Hyderabad-based animation, gaming and entertainment company DQ Entertainment International, a wholly-owned subsidiary of the over Rs 200-crore AIM-listed DQ Entertainment Plc, is producing the film which is an adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's novel The Jungle Book, with a budget of ¤18 million (approximately Rs 120 crore).
“Currently, two noted writers are working on the initial script treatment in London for the feature film. And we are in the process of roping in three distributors — one each in the US, Europe and Asia — to cover all the territories worldwide. The film will begin production in September 2010 and will be ready for a global theatrical release by the end of 2011,” Tapaas Chakravarti, chairman and chief executive officer of the DQE Group, told Business Standard.
About 150 of DQE’s animation experts, including 10 from its Paris office, will work non-stop for nearly 18 months for the 90-minute film, while the entire post-production work will be done at DQE's Ireland facility, he added.
The movie will unfold interesting tales of Mowgli, the man cub, raised by a pack of wolves in the tropical jungle of Seeonee.
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Mowgli’s world includes his friends ‘Baloo’ (a wise old bear who is his mentor), his best friend ‘Bagheera’ (panther) and ‘Kaa’ the python.
Disney is the first studio to come out with an animated feature film on The Jungle Book, in a 2D format, though, in 1967, which was followed by the repackaged version of the classic in 2003.
Both turned out to be high grossers. “Iconic brands like The Jungle Book have a high shelf life and are always big revenue churners in terms of exhibition, merchandising, graphic novels, comics and video games. We are on the verge of finalising a partner in France for licensing it to them,” Chakravarti said.
DQE is already working on a 11-minute each, 52-episode television series and a 60-minute TV feature on The Jungle Book.
It has roped in the TFI Group of France, the ¤4.2-billion German conglomerate ZDF Television and France-based MoonScoop Group as its co-producers for the ¤ 9.2-million (Rs 62 crore) TV project.
“The Jungle Book TV series will be telecast globally in the third quarter of 2010 in English, French, German, Italian, Spanish, Portuguese, Japanese and Mandarin, and in at least five Indian languages. By September 2010, we should be getting the broadcasters’ clearance for Season-II of the series. All the co-producers have planned various sales strategies, including video, worldwide TV, publishing and merchandising, and The Jungle Book TV series is expected to bring in ¤40 million (Rs 268 crore) revenues in the first five years of the launch,” Chakravarti said.