It’s finally here! The trailer for the live action remake of the beloved classic "The Jungle Book" has been released, and like expected, it is amazing! The trailer, which consisted of one minute and 55 seconds, promises a spectacular adventure of the orphan, Mowgli, as he travels through the forest in search of safety and a new home.
Originally a book by Rudyard Kipling, "The Jungle Book" was made into a cartoon classic by Walt Disney studios back in 1967, and is once again taking center stage in 2016 with its amazing remake. The film, directed by Jon Favreau (director of "Iron Man"), is filled with a star-studded cast, consisting of Scarlett Johansson, Bill Murray, Idris Elba, Lupita N’Yongo, Christopher Walken, and Ben Kingsley, and introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli.
The trailer opens with beautiful shots of the scenery and Kaa, Scarlett Johansson’s character, enticing Mowgil, in a monologue that gets more sinister the more it progresses. The tone set by this trailer seems to promise a darker edge than the ’67 original. It begins with Kaa asking Mowgli “Are you alone out here?” and ends with Baloo floating down a river with Mowgli on his stomach whistling the tune to Bare-Necessities. This trailer promises what made the story into a beloved classic in the first place, and a darker twist to the story, paying homage to the original book.
When asked is this film was going to have that dark tone throughout, Director Favreau has answered, “No. You'll see as more footage comes out that the tone is a mix between the original animated version and a modern action/adventure." We will probably get the darkness which usually accompanies live action films, but we will also get a lighter fun tone much like the cartoon version.
The story, set in the heart of India, boasts beautiful locations, as well as a beautiful variety of animals. This seems to have been captured perfectly in the trailer, with just one problem. Apart from Mowgli, none of it is real. It was expected that the animals would all be CGI, but not the scenery. Yet all of it was filmed in downtown Los Angeles. A far cry from the scenery in the trailer. The only actor on set was Neel Sethi, a testament to his bravery and acting skills. All other actors involved in this film, did the voice over and motion capture for their characters.
When asked about the amount of music in the film, Favreau answered “We wanted to include enough music to satisfy people who grew up with the '67 film, but not make it a musical or betray action tone.” However, he has promised to have the classic song, Bare-Necessities sung by Bill Murray in the soundtrack, something which many fans are excited about.
"The Jungle Book" is scheduled to release on April 15, 2016, as one of the last of Disney's long line of live-action remakes, along with "Beauty and the Beast" and "Cruella." Once released, these movies will join "Alice in Wonderland," "Maleficent" and "Cinderella," on Disney's present day remakes.
