Mere days before the film’s theatrical bow in North America, it’s been revealed that Disney has opened talks to push ahead with a sequel to The Jungle Book.
The Hollywood Reporter has the scoop, revealing that the House of Mouse is currently in negotiations with Jon Faverau and screenwriter Justin Marks to return, a move that would involve Faverau producing the all-but-confirmed follow-up. No further details were disclosed at such an early stage, though surely those early talks will largely hinge on the box office success – or lack thereof – come Friday.
Placing newcomer Neel Sethi into the role of man-cub Mowgli, Faverau’s The Jungle Book is a glistening reimagining of the time-honoured fairytale, blending elements of live-action with some truly awe-inspiring CGI imagery.
But there’s a star-studded voice cast at play behind Favreau’s computer generated animal kingdom, including Idris Elba as the glowering Shere Khan, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Christopher Walken as King Louie and Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito as Akela. Will Disney’s preliminary sequel discussion include the film’s leading cast members? We’ll find out in due time.
It would seem Disney is cooking up much more than just the bare necessities when it comes to its live-action interpretation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic fairytale of old. But what are your thoughts on the studio’s readiness to fire up pre-production on a sequel so soon?
The Jungle Book opens on April 15.
