There have been enough adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book that there probably doesn't need to be another, but right now there are two live-action versions on the way. Only Jon Favreau's is completed and ready to be shown off, and today Walt Disney has dropped an impressive Super Bowl spot for the jungle tale.
A hybrid of live-action and CGI, the film features newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli and the voices of Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Giancarlo Esposito as Akla, Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, , Christopher Walken as King Louie, and Bill Murray as Baloo. 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 freespirited 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 Johannsson), 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 hit theaters on April 15th.
