Newcomer Neel Sethi will play Mowgli in Disney and Jon Favreau's The Jungle Book.
Walt Disney Pictures has found the lead for their upcoming Jungle Book adaptation in newcomer Neel Sethi. Directed by Jon Favreau, Disney's The Jungle Book is one of two upcoming adaptations of Rudyard Kipling's collection of stories. The other is set up at Warner Bros. and is being written by Steve Kloves with Andy Serkis attached to direct, but that project is still in its infancy after Ron Howard departed.
Disney's adaptation seems to be in high gear. Now with a lead in Sethi, a ten-year old from New York who beat out thousands who auditioned in a worldwide search that spanned New Zealand, Canada, London, India, and the US, the project seems more than capable of meeting its scheduled October 9, 2015 release date. “Casting is the most important element of any film and finding the right kid to play Mowgli was imperative,” director Jon Favreau said in a press release courtesy of Disney. “Neel has tremendous talent and charisma. There is a lot riding on his little shoulders and I’m confident he can handle it.”
“Neel embodies the heart, humor, and daring of the character,” added casting director Sarah Finn. “He’s warm and accessible, yet also has an intelligence well beyond his years and impressed us all with his ability to hold his own in any situation. Even though he has no professional acting experience, his natural charisma and instincts jumped out at us.”
Hopefully Neel will be up to the task, seeing as Mowgli is the only actor set to appear on-screen. All the other characters will be CGI, and the voice cast includes Ben Kingsley, Scarlett Johansson, Idris Elba, and new Oscar winner Lupita Nyong'o.
The Jungle Book will be presented in 3D as well as 2D. More updates on both Jungle Books projects as they develop.
Source: ComingSoon
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