Time Warner Inc.'s Turner Broadcasting System has acquired the network television premiere windows for The Walt Disney Studios' upcoming releases Cinderella and TheJungle Book. In a licensing agreement with The Walt Disney Studios, the two movies will be available to networks across the Turner portfolio -- including TBS, TNT and Cartoon Network -- starting about two years after each film's theatrical release. The tentative network premiere windows are slated to begin in mid-2017 for Cinderella and early 2018 for TheJungle Book. Both films are set to hit theatres in 2015.
"We are confident Disney's new live-action versions of Cinderella and TheJungle Book will appeal to a wide range of demographics and will enjoy extremely successful runs across our various branded networks," Deborah K. Bradley, senior vice president, head of program acquisitions, content strategy and licensing for Turner Broadcasting System, said in a release. "These movies are the kind of tent-pole releases that will fit perfectly with Turner's ever-growing stable of blockbuster titles."
Turner recently did a big licensing deal for the network television premiere windows for the next five theatrical releases from Disney subsidiary Marvel, including Avengers: Age of Ultron and the third installment in the Captain America franchise.
Cinderella, first given Disney treatment on the animated side in 1950, is slated for theatrical release on March 13, 2015. Directed by Kenneth Branagh, it stars Cate Blanchett, Lily James (pictured), Richard Madden and Helena Bonham Carter.
The Jungle Book, directed by Jon Favreau, is slated for 3D theatrical release on Oct. 9, 2015. The voice cast includes Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Christopher Walken as King Louie and Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha. Idris Elba appears as Shere Khan, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito as Akela and Neel Sethi as Mowgli.
