Wow, Disney really are the gift that keeps on giving, aren't they? First we have a live action Cinderella to look forward to and now we have a live action adaptation of The Jungle Book in the pipeline. It's like Christmas come early. Though it's doubtful that anyone would have been happy to wake up to Alice in Wonderland live action remake on the 25th of December, that was just pants.
Baloo (the big bear who sings about worry and strife, and seems more than likely to have smoked something, for those of you who lived a sad childhood devoid of such a wonder) was one of my personal favourite characters from the Disney family (though the original story came from Rudyard Kipling in 1894). How chilled out was he? Didn't he have the best walk? See here:
Being a live-action film, and one with bugger all details as of yet, we're left scratching our heads over a few pertinent issues: Will it be a musical? Will it be more like Life of Pi? Will Baloo talk? Will he sing? You can't have a mute Baloo, surely. If he does come equipped with the gift of the gab, here's hoping it will be achieved with a little more finesse than we got with that talking ape in Brendan Fraser's George of the Jungle. And what about the boy cub, Mowgli, who will they get to play Mowgli? And then there's the King of the Swingers and Bagheera the panther.
We'll assume this movie will attract quite a few big-hitters, sure it's only one of the best Disney musicals in their back catalogue. I just got a sudden vision of Hugh Jackman as Baloo. Any cast suggestions to add yourself?
And if this one doesn't work out, fear not. The folk over at Warner Bros are working on a remake of their own.
