Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley has been added to the all-star voice cast for Disney’s new Jungle Book film. The project is the latest in the studio’s reimaginings of its animated classics.
Kingsley has been cast as Bagheera, the friendly black panther who tries to keep Mowgli on the right path in the original animated film. The casting was reported by The Hollywood Reporter and also confirmed by Entertainment Weekly.
Director Jon Favreau (Iron Man, Chef) will have an incredible cast of talent providing the voices for the animated animal characters. Idris Elba was cast as the villainous tiger Shere Khan, while Lupita Nyong’o and Scarlett Johansson also have parts. It’s not known yet who will play Mowgli or any other human character that Disney might fit in.
The script is by Justin Marks and will be filmed in 3D. It is based on the Rudyard Kipling stories and will hit theaters on Oct. 9, 2015.
Meanwhile, Warner Bros. is also working on its own Jungle Book project, which Andy Serkis has been hired to direct.
Kingsley was seen in Iron Man 3 last year, as well as Ender’s Game.
image courtesy of ACE/INFphoto.com