As we enter the new year, we continue to learn more about the new live-action version ofThe Jungle Book. TheJon Favreau-directed film hits theaters in just a few months, and so far we have seen amotion posteras well as ateaser trailer. And as we get closer to that release date, should learn a lot more, especially when the February edition of Empire Magazine is released. It will feature new images from the film. And in anticipation of the magazine hitting shelves, Empire hasshareda new image from the film. Check it out below:
The image captures Mowgli, played by newcomerNeel Sethi,and his wolf mother, who is voiced byLupita Nyong’o.It helps showcase the balance Favreau and company tried to strike between realism and fantasy, as hepreviously talked about, in attempting to bring to lifeRudyard Kipling’s original story while not overlooking the Disney version that has become the go-to version for most folks.
Along with the image, Empire shares Favreau’s casting focus for Mowgli, as Sethi was chosen from a casting call that featured over 2,000 children for the part:
“There was a certain quality we wanted, and we knew he was going to have to carry the film. So it was going to have to be somebody that had a certain charisma, a certain charm and certain qualities that I remember from the cartoon.”
Again, that desire to pay homage to the cartoon seems to have been on the filmmakers minds while also creating their own version that is set in a photo-real environment far away from the look of the cartoon.
Joining Nyong’o and Sethi areScarlett Johanssonas Kaa the snake;Idris Elbaas Shere-Khan the tiger;Bill Murrayas Baloo the bear;Ben Kingsleyas Bagheera the panther; andChristopher Walkenas Cousin Louie the orangutan. You can check out the full article in the February edition of Empire Magazine.The Jungle Bookhits theaters July 13, 2025.
