If you’ve listened to any of the recent Geektown Radio shows (you should, it’s really rather good), you’ll know that here at Geektown we’re quite excited for the release of Jon Favreau’s live action take on The Jungle Book (Ross is especially excited!) One of the greatest things about the film is the voice casting is so ‘on point’. Bill Murray as Baloo, Christopher Walken as King Louie, and Kaa voiced by Scarlett Johansson, and that’s just the start. I’m not sure they give out Oscars for casting, but if they did, The Jungle Book really should take it!
If you’re unfamiliar with The Jungle Book (seriously… what rock have you been hiding under!), here’s a little background. 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 JUNGLE BOOK” opens in UK cinemas from April 15th 2016
