Ben Kingsley has been cast as the voice of Bagheera in the Jon Favreau and Disney live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book.
And the heavy hitting talent for Jon Favreau’s upcoming The Jungle Book continues to grow. While the important role of Mowgli has yet to be cast, the animals of this jungle kingdom are getting filled by more and more talent. With Idris Elba already cast as the voice of Shere Khan and Scarlett Johansson as the voice of python Kaa, Ben Kingsley has been cast in the role of Bagheera, a black panther.
Kipling’s The Jungle Book was a collection of stories first published in magazines during 1893 and 1894. In 1895, a The Second Jungle Book was produced chronicling the later adventures of an older Mowgli. These stories served as the inspiration for the Walt Disney Animation Classic The Jungle Book in 1967. Disney also distributed a moderately successful adaptation of the books in 1994 directed by Stephen Sommers (yes that Stephen Sommers) starring Carey Elwes and Lena Headey.
The Jungle Book opens October 9, 2015.
Like us on Facebook and follow us on Twitter for all news updates related to the world of geek. And Google+, if that's your thing!