Disney Studios is looking to build the anticipation for its live-action adaptation of its animated 1967 film The Jungle Book, which itself is a loose interpretation of author Rudyard Kipling’s beloved works. (All of the re-imagining is like Inception, but makes a hair more sense.) Today, the House of Mouse dropped a morsel for folks looking to sate their appetites until the Jon Favreau-directed film hits theaters in April with a poster showcasing the whole menagerie of characters roaming Mowgli’s jungle.
THE JUNGLE BOOK
For more information on the movie, here’s the official synopsis.
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. The wild adventure swings into theaters in 3D on April 15, 2016.
The Jungle Book, starring Neel Sethi as Mowgli, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Bill Murray as Baloo, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, and Christopher Walken as King Louie, arrives in theaters on April 15th from Disney Studios.