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You all the know the story: Panther finds crying baby boy in the jungle, hands him over to be raised by wolves, until rumors of a dangerous predator's return mean he is no longer safe and must be escorted back to the human village. Along the way, they encounter a bumbling (but oh-so-charming) bear, some pretty fly monkeys, and a pack of vultures who look suspiciously mop-topped. In the end (spoilers here for those who didn't have a Disney childhood), the boy defeats the predator and figures out that, while he loves his jungle friends, he doesn't really belong in the wild.
Based on Rudyard Kipling's collection of stories, Disney's The Jungle Book has captured the minds of "man cubs" (and lady cubs) since it first hit theaters in 1967. (The movie is extra special, as the last one Walt Disney himself worked on before his death in 1966.)
On April 15, you'll be able to revisit the old gang — Baloo, Mowgli, Bagheera, Shere Khan, Kaa and King Louie, along with some newish faces (more on those later) — in Jon Favreau's gorgeous-looking adaptation.
As any superfan knows, reboots come at a price. On one hand, you get to experience an old favorite anew. On the other, it could all go seriously awry.
But with a voice cast that includes Scarlett Johansson (Kaa), Bill Murray (Baloo), Christopher Walken (King Louie), Idris Elba (Shere Khan), Lupita Nyong'o (Raksha), and Giancarlo Esposito (Akela), the new film looks promising, to say the least.
In anticipation of the big release, we thought we'd check in on our jungle pals and see how they differ from their sleeker, animated versions.
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