I had the opportunity to go out to California for the red carpet premiere of Disney’s The Jungle Book. Sadly I wasn’t able to make it so I had to turn it down. The original animated movie, The Jungle Book is one of my all time favorite movies. I was excited to have the opportunity to interview the director Jon Favreau but it wasn’t in the cards. So I’ll be seeing the movie when everyone else does unless I get invited to a sneak preview in Boston. It is tough not having the vacation time for fun things that come up.
I did get access to a clip that introduces Shere Khan that I want to share with you and then below that are some amazing portraits of the actors with their animal counterparts. But first the video.
“Intro to Shere Khan” clip
Also make sure to check out the brand new immersive site for Disney’s THE JUNGLE BOOK that launched today. Created exclusively by Disney on Tumblr, you can explore chapters like “Words to Live By: The bare necessities for a man cub to survive” and “In the Face of Danger: Learn about the Red Flower and Shere Khan.” New chapters will be revealed over the next two weeks featuring exclusive content from the film.
Scarlett Johansson / Kaa
Kaa is a massive python who uses her voice and hypnotic gaze to entrance Mowgli. The man-cub can’t resist her captivating embrace. “Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling,” says Scarlett Johansson. “She’s the mirror into Mowgli’s past. The way she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish.”
Idris Elba / Shere Khan
Voiced by Idris Elba, Shere Khan bears the scars of man, which fuel his hatred of humans. Convinced that Mowgli poses a threat, the bengal tiger is determined to rid the jungle of the man-cub. “Shere Khan reigns with fear,” says Elba. “He terrorizes everyone he encounters because he comes from a place of fear.”
Sir Ben Kingsley / Bagheera
Bagheera is a sleek panther who feels it’s his duty to help the man-cub depart with dignity when it’s time for him to leave his jungle home. “Bagheera is Mowgli’s adoptive parent,” says Ben Kingsley, who lends his voice to Bagheera. “His role in Mowgli’s life is to educate, to protect and to guide. My Bagheera was military–he’s probably a colonel. He is instantly recognizable by the way he talks, how he acts and what his ethical code is.”
Lupita Nyong’o / Raksha
Lupita Nyong’o voices Raksha, a mother wolf who cares deeply for all of her pups–including man-cub Mowgli, whom she adopts as one of her own when he’s abandoned in the jungle as an infant. “She is the protector, the eternal mother,” says Nyong’o. “The word Raksha actually means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers but one she’s taken for her own.”
Christopher Walken / King Louie
King Louie is a formidable ape who desperately wants the secret of Man’s deadly “red flower”–fire. He’s convinced Mowgli has the information he seeks. “King Louie is huge–12 feet tall,” says Christopher Walken, who voices the character. “But he’s as charming as he is intimidating when he wants to be.”
Giancarlo Esposito / Akela
Akela is the strong and hardened alpha-male wolf who shoulders the responsibility of his pack. He welcomes Mowgli to the family, but worries he may one day compromise their safety. “Akela is a fierce patriarch of the wolf pack,” says Giancarlo Esposito, who voices the character. “He believes the strength of the pack lies in what each and every wolf offers. He’s a great leader, a wise teacher.
DISNEY’S THE JUNGLE BOOK
Cast: Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o, Scarlett Johansson, Giancarlo Esposito, Neel Sethi and Christopher Walken,
Director: Jon Favreau
Producers: Jon Favreau, Brigham Taylor
Screenplay by: Justin Marks
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” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, who embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when he’s forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known.
Notes:
- Neel Sethi, now 11, was selected from thousands of candidates following a worldwide search for the perfect man-cub.
- The all-star voice cast includes Oscar®-winners Ben Kingsley (“Learning to Drive,” “The Walk”), Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”), as well as Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”), Idris Elba (“Star Trek Beyond”), Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) and Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad’).
- Rudyard Kipling penned the collection of short stories, “The Jungle Book,” in the early 1890s from his home in Vermont.
- State-of-the-art technology is behind larger-than-life jungle creatures that join Neel Sethi’s Mowgli on screen in an all-new, immersive, jaw-dropping viewing experience. The film will be spectacular in 3D and IMAX 3D.
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THE JUNGLE BOOK opens in theatres everywhere on April 15th, 2016!
sounds very interesting,but is it okay for kids your sons age? was he scared?