Does Rudyard Kipling’s classic “The Jungle Book," already made into the beloved and timeless 1967 animated film we all know and love need a big budget, live action and CGI remake? Well, the folks at Disney seem to think so, so we’re getting it, and a new trailer has arrived.
Jon Favreau ("Iron Man," "Jumanji") is behind the camera for the star-studded affair which features Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Giancarlo Esposito and Lupita Nyong’o as Akela and Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Christopher Walken as King Louie and Bill Murray as Baloo, with Neel Sethi as Mowgli. Here’s the synopsis:
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Chef,” “Iron Man,” “Elf”), 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” opens on April 15th. Watch the new trailer below.