As Disney continues to raid its animated archives for film properties it can turn into live-action spectacles with updated effects, Jon Favreau’s The Jungle Book is one of its prime productions. With the movie shooting, Favreau has revealed that Bill Murray, playing loveable ursine sidekick Baloo, will sing as part of the plot.
That might raise some eyebrows, since Favreau has said before that this isn’t looking to directly replicate the beloved 1967 cartoon version. But some elements are so iconic they’re worth trying again, even if comparisons will be inevitable. “Although it’s not a musical, we wanted to work in the more memorable moments from the ‘67 film,” says Favreau, enthusiastically responding when asked if that included Baloo’s famous song 'The Bare Necessities'. “How do you *not *do that?”
Murray is just one of a host of names lending their tonsil talents as the CG animals surrounding Mowgli, played physically on screen by ten-year-old. Neel Sethi. Among the other voices are Ben Kingsley (panther Bagheera), Lupita Nyong’o (wolf mother Rackcha), Idris Elba (lethal tiger Shere Khan) and Scarlett Johansson (charming, deadly snake Kaa), Christopher Walken as monkey King Louie, and Giancarlo Esposito is Akela, leader of the wolf pack that initially cares for Mowgli.
Favreau has been releasing pictures of the voice cast at work (and relaxing between takes) on his Instagram feed, while the film’s logo and a piece of concept art have also arrived online recently.** The Jungle Book** will be out here on October 26 next year.