Scarlett Johansson is no stranger to voice work; she was, after all, the sexiest OS ever created in Spike Jonze’s Her. Her vocal skills helped Spike win an Oscar for Best Original Screenplay, so it’s not surprising that more directors would tap her talents. In the new trailer for The Jungle Book–a mix of animation and live-action directed by Jon Favreau, who worked with Johansson in Chef–Scarlett shows off her nasty side with her portrayal of Kaa, the enormous snake who knows the ins and outs of the jungle.
Kaa assures Mowgli, the little boy raised by the creatures of the jungle, that she’ll be keeping a close eye on him in the trailer, which is filled with visual delights that range from Mowgli’s animal friends to the tall trees he jumps through effortlessly. The movie is star-studded, including appearances by Bill Murray, Ben Kingsley, Lupita Nyong’o, and Christopher Walken.
Jon Favreau explained at Disney D23 earlier this year that most of the movie was made relying heavily on computer graphics, including the outdoor scenes.
“All of this was shot in downtown Los Angeles. The only live-action character person is Neel Sethi, playing Mowgli. The humans are the only things that are real. The environments, the animals—all of that is generated by artists,” Favreau said.
It will definitely be interesting to see the new take on this classic tale, especially with Walken taking the role of King Louie and Murray playing Baloo the bear. One thing that hasn’t changed is Mowgli’s importance to so many of the jungle animals, who are either out for his blood or risking their own lives to keep him safe.
Scarlett Johansson made headlines last week when she appeared on the new Late Show with Stephen Colbert and pondered life’s big questions with him while laying on a blanket.
“I get the impression that you’re a deep person. I like to give the impression that I’m a deep person. Can we get real for a minute?” Colbert asked.
“Let’s go deep,” Scarlett said.
