When Hollywood powerhouse Disney cast Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, Idris Elba and Ben Kingsley in its forthcoming remake of The Jungle Book, not to mention Oscar-winner Lupita Nyong'o and Avengers star Scarlett Johansson, the studio most likely expected the makers of a proposed rival version to blink and down tools. Now it appears the studio may have not quite realised who they were dealing with, after Britain's Andy Serkis named a cavalcade of A-list stars, including Christian Bale,Cate Blanchett, Naomie Harris and Benedict Cumberbatch, on his team for the upcoming The Jungle Book: Origins, which is being backed by rival firm Warner Bros.
 
Serkis, who is making his directing debut on the The Jungle Book: Origins after cutting his teeth as second unit director on Peter Jackson's Hobbit trilogy, will voice Baloo the bear in the Rudyard Kipling adaptation,according to the Hollywood Reporter, with fellow Britons Peter Mullan and Eddie Marsan having also joined the cast. Disney's version is set for release in October 2015, while Serkis's will debut a year later on 21 October 2016.