Directed by Jon Favreau (Iron Man), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire.

The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world. The wild adventure swings into theaters in 3D on April 15, 2016.

“The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub raised in the jungle by a family of wolves, who embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery when he’s forced to abandon the only home he’s ever known.

Interesting Facts About The Jungle Book

· Rudyard Kipling penned the collection of short stories, “The Jungle Book,” in the early 1890s from his home in Vermont.

· Lyricist Richard M. Sherman, who wrote songs for The Jungle Book (1967), will write new songs for this film.

· State-of-the-art technology is behind larger-than-life jungle creatures that join Neel Sethi’s Mowgli on screen in an all-new, immersive, jaw-dropping viewing experience. The film will be spectacular in 3D and IMAX 3D.

· Neel Sethi, now 11, was selected from thousands of candidates following a worldwide search for the perfect man-cub.

· Bill Murray voices Baloo the bear in this film; his older brother Brian Doyle-Murray had voiced Baloo in The Jungle Book: Mowgli’s Story (1998).

· The all-star voice cast includes Oscar®-winners Ben Kingsley (Learning to Drive, Shutter Island, and The Walk), Lupita Nyong’o (12 Years a Slave and Star Wars: The Force Awakens) and Christopher Walken (The Deer Hunter), as well as Bill Murray (Lost in Translation), Idris Elba (Star Trek Beyond, Avengers: Age of Ultron, No Good Deed, and Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom), Scarlett Johansson (Avengers: Age of Ultron, Ghost World, and Girl with a Pearl Earring) and Giancarlo Esposito (Breaking Bad).

· The wolf cubs in the film are named after motion capture actors and other crew members.