King Louie and Scarlett Johansson’s sinister serpent Kaa may have occupied the limelight with yesterday’s poster, but Disney’s next entry into its awe-inspiring triptych poster for The Jungle Book is all about Idris Elba’s glowering Shere Khan.
As fearsome as ever, Elba will be lending his dulcet tones to the role of the battle scarred Khan, who wants nothing more than to chase out Mowgli (Neel Sethi) from the jungle he calls home. Incorporating live-action and practical effects, the House of Mouse is rendering the jungle using a similar technique to that found in Ang Lee’s Life of Pi, and already this modern retelling is shaping up to be a beauty.
Khan may be the jungle VIP, but Jon Favreau has assembled a star-studded cast to bring his vision to life, one which includes Star Wars: The Force Awakens alum Lupita Nyong’o and Ralph Ineson as Mowgli’s adoptive wolf-parents, Scarlett Johansson as the aforementioned reptile along with Bill Murray, Christopher Walken, and Ben Kingsley.
Prepare to indulge in a whole new version of Rudyard Kipling’s coming-of-age tale when The Jungle Book dances merrily into theaters on April 15. Included in the gallery below are the first two sections of the majestic triptych poster – along with a new image from earlier today – and we can look forward to seeing the final piece of the puzzle on Thursday, January 7, at 9am PT.
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).