"Mowgli" Looks Like "The Jungle Book" But With More Nightmares

Yes, we know The Jungle Book only came out two years ago, but Mowgli is something different.

Warner Bros. has released the trailer for Mowgli, the darker, edgier cousin to Disney's 2016 telling of The Jungle Book and boy, it looks beautifully moody.

Watch the new trailer for #Mowgli starring Christian Bale, Cate Blanchett, Benedict Cumberbatch, and Freida Pinto. pic.twitter.com/k7AWsTWpJE

— Mowgli Movie (@MowgliMovie) May 21, 2018

The trailer shows the familiar tale of a boy who is raised in the jungles of India by a wolf, Raksha, and is captured by humans. 

But, unlike the fun, kid-friendly Disney version from two years ago, Mowgli features more realistic big cats (besides the talking, obviously) that look ready to pounce and eat up our title character.

Hungry tiger thinking 'issa snack.'

The star power should be enough to convince scaredy-cats to make the trip to the theatres, with Cate Blanchett voicing the snake, Kaa, Benedict Cumberbatch as the cranky tiger, Shere Khan, and Christian Bale behind the booming voice of Bagheera, the black panther.

Director Andy Serkis explained to io9 why they decided to make Mowgli so soon after Disney's The Jungle Book came out.

"I think that there is an appetite for darker, or should I say more emotionally powerful or resonant metaphor-driven storytelling," Serkis said. 

"For me, it was a complicated psychological and emotional journey, where, as I say, the jeopardy and the consequence is real."

You'll have to wait until 18 October to find out how Mowgli compares to it's lighter cousin.

Photo: YouTube (Warner Bros. Pictures)