Golden
girl Lupita Nyong'o and mom-to-be Scarlett Johansson are on the cusp of
signing on for the remake of the classic 1967 Disney film The Jungle
Book.
According to The Hollywood Reporter,
Oscar-winner Lupita, 29, is in final negotiations to voice the
character of mother wolf Rakcha, who adopts feral child Mowgli and
raises him as her own, while Scarlett, 31, is still in early talks to
play villain Kaa - the python who hypnotises her prey before devouring
them.
So
far, the only cast member signed to the project is Golden Globe-winner
Idris Elba, who will play Mowgli's arch nemesis, Shere Khan, the
man-eating tiger, while the lead role of Mowgli is still yet to be
confirmed.
Do they have the bare necessities? Scarlett
Johansson (left) Lupita Nyong'o are rumoured to be in negotiations to
star in the upcoming Disney remake of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book
A
new era: First animated by Disney in 1967 prior to 1994's live-action
version, the latest project is being dubbed a live-action/CGI hybrid and
is slated for release on October 9, 2015, with casting yet to be
announced for characters including Mowgli and Baloo
Directed
by Jon Favreau, the project is being dubbed a live-action/CGI hybrid,
with the script having already been completed by Justin Marks.
Of
course, the original story of The Jungle Book was penned by English
author Rudyard Kipling way back in 1894, published as a collection of
stories.
The
first live-action reimagining of the book, titled Elephant Boy, was in
1937, starring Sabu Dastagir, who went on to star in the 1942 adaptation
simply called Jungle Book.
Villains unite! Idris Elba has already been
confirmed to voice the character Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger and
Mowgli's arch nemesis, while Scarlett is reportedly in early talks to
play python Kaa, who hypnotises her prey before devouring them
Artistic license: Despite the Disney flick being
an instant and enduring hit with fans, critics have cited discrepancies
in the plot, characters and even the pronunciation of some of the
characters' names from the original fables
While
Disney didn't attempt a live-action version until 1994, featuring Jason
Scott Lee as Mowgli and Lena Headey, Sam Neill and John Cleese among
the star-studded cast, they're best known for the 1967 animated
offering.
Though
an instant and enduring hit with fans, critics have cited discrepencies
in the plot, characters and even the pronunciation of some of the
characters' names.
The latest Disney production is currently slated for an October 9, 2015 release.
Golden girl: After taking home her first Academy
Award in March for 12 Years A Slave, the in-demand actress is said to
be in final negotiations to voice the character of mother wolf Rakcha,
who adopts feral child Mowgli and raises him as her own
In the family way: Scarlett, who can currently
be seen on the big screen in full action mode in Captain America: The
Winter Soldier, is expecting her first child with fiancé Romain Dauriac,
which would make the voice acting role the perfect gig as she nears the
end of her pregnancy
Also in development is another version being helmed by Andy Serkis for Warner Bros.
Alejandro
Gonzalez Inarritu was initially linked to the project, but had to drop
out due to scheduling conflicts, and while Ron Howard was poised to take
his place, he has also since been reportedly knocked out of the
running.
All aboard! Idris Elba (left) is the only
confirmed casting decision so far, while the movie will be directed by
funnyman Jon Favreau
No comments:
Post a Comment