**I will be receiving an all expense paid trip thanks to Disney. All my opinions are my own and not swayed by outside sources. All photo credit given to Disney unless otherwise stated.**
February 2015 I had the absolute pleasure to attend my first Disney press event! It has been a goal of mine to work with Disney since my early days of blogging since I am completely Disney obsessed! If you know me, you know that I visit Disney World as much as possible, own about every Disney movie to date, been on Disney cruises, completed a Disney half marathon with Run Disney, and have birthday parties revolving around Disney. After going on my first Disney trip and then being invited back a few times in 2015, I can tell you that these events are probably my most favorite press trips because we learn everything and anything about Disney. I have been so fortunate in this department and now I am honored to have been invited to my very first red carpet for the Jungle Book!
While I am completely excited about being on my first red carpet, I am even more excited that it is for the Jungle Book movie. This has to do with the fact that my daughter started singing competitively this year and her song that she sings at her events is Bare Necessities from The Jungle Book. In fact, my little bear won 5th place last week singing this song! I am pretty sure I can tell you most of the words without ever looking at the song sheet.
Anyway, we LOVE the Jungle Book here and can’t wait for the live action film to be released by Disney on April 15th! To prepare for the release, 25 bloggers will have the opportunity of a lifetime to head to LA for the #JungleBookEvent. While we are getting our final itinerary soon, we know that we will have the chance to interview Director Jon Favreau and Neel Sethi who plays “Mowgli” at the press junket. We also recently found out we will also be interviewing Lupita Nyong’o (voice of “Raksha”), Giancarlo Esposito (voice of “Akela”), and Sir Ben Kingsley (voice of “Bagheera”). I already jotted down questions for them but if you have any, please tweet to me and I will try my best to ask!
THE JUNGLE BOOK opens in theatres everywhere in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on April 15th!
Here is some information featuring the wonderful cast:
Scarlett Johansson / Kaa
Kaa is a massive python who uses her voice and hypnotic gaze to entrance Mowgli. The man-cub can’t resist her captivating embrace. “Kaa seduces and entraps Mowgli with her storytelling,” says Scarlett Johansson. “She’s the mirror into Mowgli’s past. The way she moves is very alluring, almost coquettish.”
Idris Elba / Shere Khan
Voiced by Idris Elba, Shere Khan bears the scars of man, which fuel his hatred of humans. Convinced that Mowgli poses a threat, the bengal tiger is determined to rid the jungle of the man-cub. “Shere Khan reigns with fear,” says Elba. “He terrorizes everyone he encounters because he comes from a place of fear.”We also will have the privilege to attend a special screening of the hilarious new hidden camera-practical joke series “Walk the Prank.”
Sir Ben Kingsley / Bagheera
Bagheera is a sleek panther who feels it’s his duty to help the man-cub depart with dignity when it’s time for him to leave his jungle home. “Bagheera is Mowgli’s adoptive parent,” says Ben Kingsley, who lends his voice to Bagheera. “His role in Mowgli’s life is to educate, to protect and to guide. My Bagheera was military–he’s probably a colonel. He is instantly recognizable by the way he talks, how he acts and what his ethical code is.”
Lupita Nyong’o / Raksha
Lupita Nyong’o voices Raksha, a mother wolf who cares deeply for all of her pups–including man-cub Mowgli, whom she adopts as one of her own when he’s abandoned in the jungle as an infant. “She is the protector, the eternal mother,” says Nyong’o. “The word Raksha actually means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers but one she’s taken for her own.”
Christopher Walken / King Louie
King Louie is a formidable ape who desperately wants the secret of Man’s deadly “red flower”–fire. He’s convinced Mowgli has the information he seeks. “King Louie is huge–12 feet tall,” says Christopher Walken, who voices the character. “But he’s as charming as he is intimidating when he wants to be.”
Giancarlo Esposito / Akela
Akela is the strong and hardened alpha-male wolf who shoulders the responsibility of his pack. He welcomes Mowgli to the family, but worries he may one day compromise their safety. “Akela is a fierce patriarch of the wolf pack,” says Giancarlo Esposito, who voices the character. “He believes the strength of the pack lies in what each and every wolf offers. He’s a great leader, a wise teacher.”
Here is the full synopsis:
Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man”), based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories and inspired by Disney’s classic animated film, “The Jungle Book” is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray). Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela. “The Jungle Book” seamlessly blends live-action with photorealistic CGI animals and environments, using up-to-the-minute technology and storytelling techniques to immerse audiences in an enchanting and lush world.
And some fun activity sheets:
The fun does not stop there because we are also invited to a special screening of the hilarious new hidden camera-practical joke series “Walk the Prank.” Walk the Prank” premieres April 6th at 8:30 pm on Disney XD! I wonder if 25 bloggers will get pranked-LOL!
Featuring live-action scripted comedy interspersed with fully produced unscripted pranks, the show follows an ensemble cast as they plan and execute hilarious over-the-top pranks for an online hidden camera show.
After the screening, we will be transported to Paramount Studios where we will view production for an upcoming episode and interview members of the “Walk the Prank” cast. Follow the #WalkThePrank hashtag to learn more!
To follow all the fun, please follow me on Twitter and Instagram. To learn more about Jungle Book and this wonderful movie, follow them on Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, Google Plus, and Pinterest! Stay tuned for a lot more…