Two weeks out from launch, Disney has all hands at the pump in preparation for the arrival of Jon Favreau’s big-budget rendition of The Jungle Book, rolling out a series of character posters, featurettes and today, an all-new IMAX trailer.
Introduced by Star Wars: The Force Awakens alum Lupita Nyong’o – she’ll play Raksha, foster parent to Mowgli, in Disney’s reboot – there’s no shortage of impressive CGI to gawk at, not to mention a few slivers of new footage. Among them are new shots of Scarlett Johansson as the oddly sinister Kaa and Ben Kingsley’s watchful protector, Bagheera. Christopher Walken (King Louie) and Breaking Bad‘s Giancarlo Esposito as Akela round out the starry lineup.
Disney is ready to pump new blood into Rudyard Kipling’s classic fairytale of old come April 15, and though Favreau’s The Jungle Book is certainly easy on the eyes, the jury’s still out on whether the modern retelling can make the necessary dent at the box office in two weeks’ time – and that’s before the arrival of Andy Serkis’ Jungle Book: Origins in 2017.
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).