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12 Things You Have to Know About The Jungle Book

News
13 April 2016
Learn more about the live-action Disney reimagining of The Jungle Book.
jungle book 2016

Disney’s The Jungle Book is the latest in a slew of live-action remakes from the famous studio. It’s also the latest silver screening with M-Net Movies and Ster-Kinekor and we’re very excited to watch it!

If you’re joining us tonight or are just a huge fan of the original movie, then here are a few things you need to know about The Jungle Book.

1. It’s based on the 1967 animated film. Both were produced by Walt Disney Productions. The animated film is the last movie Walt Disney, the man, worked on.

2. The 2016 Disney film is directed by Jon Favreau, who also helmed Iron Man.

3. Both movies are based on the book by Rudyard Kipling. The book is a collection of stories set in the Indian jungle.

4. The voice cast in the new version includes Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba, Lupita Nyong’o and Christopher Walken.

5. Another film version of The Jungle Book is due for release in 2018. Titled Jungle Book, it’s directed by Andy Serkis and will be distributed by Warner Bros.

6. A sequel to Jon Favreau’s Disney re-imagining has already been announced.

7. Neel Sethi, who plays Mowgli, makes his feature film debut with The Jungle Book.

8. The wolf cubs are named after motion-capture actors and crew members.

9. Sterling Holloway voiced the infamous snake Kaa, in the animated film. He had a long history with The Walt Disney Company and also voiced Mr. Stork in Dumbo, the Cheshire Cat in Alice in Wonderland, Roquefort in The Aristocats, and Winnie the Pooh.

10. Scarlett Johansson became the first woman to voice the snake. In Serkis’ version Kaa is also voiced by a woman: Cate Blanchett.

11. King Louie does not appear in the book. He was created for the 1967 film, and depicted as an orangutan. In 2016, the character is a gigantopithecus, a distant relative of the orangutan thought to have lived in parts of India. The species change was made, because orangutans are not native to India.

12. Richard M. Sherman wrote songs for the 1967 film with his late brother Robert B. Sherman. Richard returned to write new songs for the 2016 film.

Missed out? Keep your eyes on the website and social media for the next silver screening.

The Jungle Book will be released nationwide on Friday 15 April.

 Stand a chance to win with M-Net Movies by entering the Jerry Maguire competition here.