Jungle Book

Coming out April 15, 2016, The Jungle Book is a photo-realistic movie based off of the previous creation directed by Wolfgang Reitherman, taking place in India. It is about a young boy, Mowgli, who was raised by wolves named Raksha and Akela, and describes his journey of self discovery as he meets many interesting characters throughout the movie. One of these characters includes the antagonist, a Bengal tiger by the name of Shere Khan, whose threats against the boy cause him to set out on his adventure. Along the way Mowgli befriends a bear named Baloo, who serves as his guide and creates a bond with the young boy.
“I really liked the “Bear Necessity” with the bear because he’s like the fun dad figure,” Becca Bailey ‘16 said.
The live-action version of this story brings the cartoons to life with its new technology, and recreates the childhood movie that older generations grew up with.
“I think that would be kind of cool if they use the new technology of animation to re-do the whole movie, but still have the other one too,” Lydia VanCorbach ‘18 said.
The development of this live action movie was announced on July 9, 2013, and had announced that Justin Marks would write the script, with later confirmation that the movie was to be directed by Jon Favreau on Nov. 5, 2013. Favreau used the new advantages of photorealistic rendering and motion capture technologies to create the movie’s unique look, and to demonstrate the artistic abilities of the creators.
Favreau has also announced the slight change in casting of the Indian python, Kaa. The director wanted to eliminate the more “male-oriented” cast, and decided to have Scarlett Johansson play the part, and he also swayed a little away from the 1967 movie by changing the character of King Louie, an orangutan, to another species that is native to the India.
“I think for a live-action show they’re trying to make it more dramatic, so it makes more sense what they’re trying to do. I think if you add a lot of the times movies with singing and dancing come out a little hokey and little kid-ish and they’re trying to make it a movie more a movie similar to The Life of Pi, or something like that where it’s a dramatic kind of intense movie,” Bailey ‘16 said