Billy Murray (Lost In Translation) is the newest addition to the all star cast of Disney's latest movie version of The Jungle Book.
The actor will be voicing the Baloo the bear, and he will be joining the star-studded cast which includes Christopher Walken who will be playing King Louis, Scarlett Johansson, who recently appeared in top grossing film Lucy, will play the python Kaa, Ben Kingsley is the black panther Bagheera, and Academy award winner Lupita Nyong'o as the mother wolf Raksha. Breaking Bad's Giancarlo Esposito will play the wolf pack leader Akela, while Idris Elba will be the tiger, Shere Khan.
The center of the story, Mowgili, will be voiced by budding actor, 10-year-old Neel Sethi. The movie is directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man).
This reincarnation of The Jungle Book to the big screen will be combine both live action and animated elements. The beloved tale based on a book by Rudyard Kipling follows the tale of an oprhaned boy who lives in the jungle, and is raised by animals.
The story has been adapted in various media -- through comic books, animated movies, and live-action films. The most famous of these is Walt Disney Animation studios animated version in 1967. This classic re-telling has made the story a household name, although the movie's plot lines diverged significantly from the original.
In Disney's 2015 version, the animals will be brought to through CGI and will be voiced by some of the most notable actors in the industry. The movie opens in October 2015.
It's interesting that over at Warner Bros., they will also be releasing a Jungle Book movie. This one is a live action adaptation of the tale, and Andy Serkis (The Lord of the Rings, The Hobbit) will be directing. This version will hit theaters on October 2016.
