The live action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale is set to add two huge names to its cast. Disney wants Lupita Nyong’o to voice the maternal wolf Rakcha and Scarlett Johansson to voice Kaa, the python who uses her hypnotic eyes to control its prey. Idris Elba has already signed on to voice main villain Shere Khan.
Nyong’o has been in high demand ever since her Oscar winning performance in 12 Years A Slave and has been linked with a plethora of upcoming productions including Star Wars: Episode VII. Johansson has been receiving praise for her recent and rather dark performance in Jonathan Glazer’s Under the Skin which opened earlier this month in the UK. She’s no stranger to voice-over work having lent her sultry tones to Samantha, the operating system who steals the heart of Joaquin Phoenix in Spike Jonze’s Her.
THR is claiming that Scarlett Johansson has entered into preliminary talks with Disney while Lupita Nyong’o is in the final stages of negotiations. Jon Favreau will direct and produce. Favreau has previously worked with Johansson on Iron Man 2 and his latest indie flick Chef. There has been no confirmation as to whether Disney will use mo-cap technology but the movie will definitely be a mix of live action and CGI. Shooting will begin later this year with a release date tentatively set for October 2015.
Gavin Logan – Follow me on Twitter
Originally published April 24, 2014. Updated April 13, 2018.
