Disney has released a new The Jungle Book TV spot. It seems at this point they’re not really trying to sell the plot, which is good because The Jungle Book isn’t so much a plot-driven narrative as one that’s driven by Mowgli’s relationships with the various jungle creatures he encounters. What they are trying to sell is that this is a big, blockbuster action film with chases, panthers fighting tigers, but also a bit of a gentle touch as you’ll hear from Baloo whistling the “Bear Necessities” (although this movie isn’t a musical like the animated film). I’m still not sure what to expect from Jungle Book, but I’m hoping to be as pleasantly surprised as I was with last year’s Cinderella.
Check out The Jungle Book TV spot below. The film opens April 15th, and stars Neel Sethi as Mowgli and features the voices of Bill Murray (Baloo), Ben Kingsley (Bagheera), Lupita Nyong’o (Raksha), Giancarlo Esposito (Akela), Christopher Walken (King Louie), Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), and Idris Elba (Shere Khan).
Here’s the official synopsis for The Jungle Book:
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 selfdiscovery, 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.
