Warner Bros. Jungle Book: Origins has been pushed into 2017 .  The film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 novel had originally been slated for an October 21, 2016 release date.  The vacancy will be filled by the studio’s Geostorm, an environmental thriller starring Gerard Butler (Olympus Has Fallen).Origins will be the solo directorial debut of Andy Serkis, best known for his work as Gollum in The Lord of the Rings series and Caesar the chimp in the recent Planet of the Apes reboots.  The film, which is expected to rely heavily on motion-capture and other special effects, is currently in pre-production.  Despite the delays, the project already boasts a stellar cast, including Oscar winners Cate Blanchett (Cinderella) and Christian Bale (Exodus: Gods and Kings) and Golden Globe nominee Benedict Cumberbatch (The Imitation Game).

The date change allows some breathing room between the Warner’s release and Disney’s live-action version of The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, which is scheduled for an October 9, 2015 release.