Who knew a live action restaging of 'The Jungle Book' was a hot property? While Jon Favreau is currently working on a version for Disney, now comes word that 'Babel' and '21 Grams' director Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu is in talks to take on an adaptation for Warner Brothers.

This word comes from Deadline, who also note there's a script from Callie Kloves, daughter of 'Harry Potter' screenwriter Steve Kloves. This seems like a smart move for Inarritu, who has made films that have stayed mostly in the arthouse circuit. The director formed a company (and is known for his friendships) with Alfonso Cuaron and Guillermo del Toro, but unlike the other two, he hasn't really tried his hand at big budget tentpole filmmaking. Perhaps this is the best way to keep doing the films that he wants while also proving he can be commercially viable.

Currently, Inarritu's film 'Birdman' is in post production with a likely 2014 release date. That may be slightly more mainstream (it stars Emma Stone, Edward Norton and Michael Keaton), but the big problem is that mid-budget Hollywood films are becoming rarer and rarer these days. If both versions happen we can add "Jungle Book" to the other competing concept films like "Trips to Mars" "Volcanoes" "Asteroids" and "Friends with Benefits."

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