Rudyard Kipling, the author of the seminal poem on masculinity ‘If’ was also responsible for one of the most loved stories of modern times – The Jungle Book. In 1893 Kipling released his first Jungle Book story which introduced the world to Mowgli & co. These initial stories were vastly different to The Jungle Book as we know it today. The 19th century versions were a mixture of childish fables and political allegories that provided a cutting social commentary on the rule of the British Empire in India. There have been three official film adaptations of The Jungle Book, with the first hitting the silver screen in 1967. However in 2016 the story was reimagined by Walt Disney and critically acclaimed as a roaring success. The film grossed $966 million and is now set for a sequel, due to be released some time in 2020. Check out our unmissable guide to The Jungle Book and its impending sequel.
How popular is The Jungle Book? Rudyard Kipling’s original Jungle Book stories were greeted with mixed reviews in Great Britain and the wider Empire. While Kipling’s storytelling was widely acclaimed, the overriding themes of Imperialism were criticised by both British colonialists and native Indians – something that is still debated to this day. Some critics accused Kipling of glorifying British imperialism while others denounced him for being too critical of it. Decades after their original release, Kipling’s stories gained the praise that they deserved. The stories of The Jungle Book were adopted by the Cub Scouts as a story that promoted good moral codes. In 1967 the story of The Jungle Book was transferred to film by Walt Disney and was an enormous success. The animated musical film grossed $378 million, the equivalent of over $2 billion in modern terms. To say the film was a success would be an understatement – both in terms of its box office performance and critical acclaim. In 2016 Jon Favreau directed a modern-take on The Jungle Book in a live-action adaptation.
Merchandise based on The Jungle Book The Jungle Book (2016) revisited With a track record of producing visually stunning live-action adventure films Disney took to the 2016 remake of The Jungle Book with high hopes. Fortunately those hopes were realised as the remake was a dazzling spectacle of modern cinema. The visual effects maestros behind The Jungle Book stunned viewers with their ability to merge real-life and imagined characters seamlessly. Every move, look and emotion of the visually created animal characters was stunning, contributing to the relatable feel of the original story. As well as being visually amazing, the 2016 film was brilliantly acted out, as you’d expect from a cast featuring Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson. Disney used every last cent of their $177 million budget to produce a realistic, engaging and thrilling story. John Debney, the musical composer from films such as; Hocus Pocus, Sin City and Iron Man excelled himself in The Jungle Book. The musical score not only added to the production value of the film but it secured a series of prestigious awards nominations for The Jungle Book.
When is The Jungle Book 2 out? Shortly after the release of the 2016 remake it was announced that Justin Marks and Jon Favreau would return to co-direct a sequel. The release date for The Jungle Book 2 has officially been pencilled in for October 9th, 2020. With Disney’s work almost done in the live-action adventure remake of The Lion King there are rumours that the release date for The Jungle Book 2 might be brought forward as Disney focus all their creative efforts on this film. It has already been announced by Favreau and Marks that Neel Sethi will return to reprise the role of Mowgli. The plot of the second film is set to follow some of the main storylines in Rudyard Kipling’s original stories. Although there are rumours that Favreau and Marks will take inspiration from some of Bill Peet’s scrapped storylines. Peet was an American children’s book illustrator and story writer for Disney in the mid-20th century. Following a dispute with Disney in the production period of the 1967 film Peet parted company with Disney. His storylines for The Jungle Book were scrapped but they could be reimagined in the 2020 film sequel. Peet unfortunately died in 2002 but any inclusion of his original stories would be a fitting tribute to a brilliant mind and a nice touch from Favreau and Marks.
What to watch between now and October 2020 The Lion King (2019) is in post-development with the film set for release in July of 2019. Produced by Walt Disney and directed by Jon Favreau expect all the visual spectaculars of The Jungle Book (2016.) Seth Rogen, John Oliver, Beyonce Knowles-Carter and Donald Glover star as voice actors in this latest remake by Disney and Favreau. The film will utilise photorealistic computer-generated animation to bring to the movie to life. Movie critics are expecting the remake of The Lion King to be a massive success and it will surely satiate your appetite for live-action Disney adventures before the release of The Jungle Book 2 next year. Contribute Hire me
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