Disney has released seven character posters for The Jungle Book, Jon Favreau’s upcoming live-action interpretation of the classic story based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless books and inspired by Disney’s animated film.
Showcasing the incredible photo realistic animals that will take centre stage here, it’s instantly apparent that this is going to be one of 2016’s most visually breathtaking releases. The fact that the young actor playing Mowgli is the only “real” person in The Jungle Book no doubt presented a tough challenge, but everything we’ve heard from Favreau points to Neel Sethi doing a great job.
Honestly though, it’s the animals in the gallery above who will be The Jungle Book‘s major draw, especially when you take the impressive voice cast into account.
CGI heavy movies are very hit and miss, but when they look as good as this one does, it’s a safe bet this is going to be pretty good. After redeeming himself with Chef following the disappointing Iron Man 2 and Cowboys & Aliens, The Jungle Book is no doubt going to put Jon Favreau back on the blockbuster map.
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 (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 (Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (Bill Murray).
Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (Scarlett Johannsson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (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.
