Disney's first take on The Jungle Book was wildly different from the Rudyard Kipling short-story compilation that inspired it. But now, it seems like Disney is attempting to change its initial interpretation with a new, live-action film. While the short trailer provides little insight as to the plot, it doesn't show any dancing or singing, so it's safe to say that this iteration will be a lot more dark and action-packed than the 1967 animated classic.
Directed by Jon Favreau and starring Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Bill Murray as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Christopher Walken as King Louie, Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, and newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli, the movie, which is due next year, has an all-star cast behind it, but it's disappointing that its main cast is not stacked with Indian actors. Again, like we said when Rooney Mara was cast as Tiger Lily in Pan, we're interested to see how the film's creators will justify its casting choices.
