Disney's The Jungle Book 3D Collectors Edition on Blu-ray 3D on November 15th

BRING HOME THE COLLECTOR’S EDITION ON NOV. 15

Get lost in the jungle with collectible packaging, spectacular 3D and new bonus features! 

BURBANK, Calif., Oct. 7, 2016 — Beginning Nov. 15, the collector’s edition of Disney’s live-action epic adventure “The Jungle Book”—Jon Favreau’s stunning reimagining of Walt Disney’s animated classic—will be available to own just in time for the holidays. “The Jungle Book” Collector’s Edition offers more than just the bare necessities with collectible packaging and a three-disc set containing the original theatrical release on Blu-ray 3D™, Blu-ray™, Digital HD and DVD, along with originally released bonus features and five never-before-seen extras. 

The Collector’s Edition provides fans with unprecedented access to “The Jungle Book” production through exciting new bonus features, including a performance of “The Bare Necessities” by Bill Murray (voice of Baloo) and jazz greats Dr. John and Kermit Ruffins, an inside look at the collaboration between director Jon Favreau and renowned composer Richard Sherman on a new version of the classic song “I Wan’na Be Like You,” a fascinating feature exposing the visual effects magic behind some of the movie’s most memorable moments, an early animatic of the scene where Mowgli meets Kaa, and a global celebration as Mowgli and Baloo sing “The Bare Necessities.” 

“The Jungle Book” has mesmerized audiences worldwide, earning critical acclaim and more than $965 million at the global box office to date. It boasts an unforgettable all-star cast, including Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) as the voice of Baloo, Ben Kingsley (“Learning to Drive,” “The Walk”) as Bagheera, Idris Elba (“Beast of No Nation”) roars as the voice of Shere Khan and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) as the voice of mother wolf Raksha. Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) gives life to Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) provides the voice of alpha-male wolf Akela  and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”) lends his iconic voice to King Louie. Newcomer Neel Sethi stars as the film’s only human character, Mowgli.

Bonus features include*:

3D COLLECTOR’S EDITION BONUS FEATURES:

• The Bare Necessities: From the Jungle to the Bayou – Travel to the heart of New Orleans to swing with composer John Debney, Bill Murray and jazz greats Dr. John, Kermit Ruffins and the rest of their lively band, as they perform another version of “The Bare Necessities.” 
• The Return of a Legend – Award-winning songwriter and Disney Legend Richard Sherman co-wrote the music from “Mary Poppins,” “The Many Adventures of Winnie the Pooh” and Walt Disney’s animated classic “The Jungle Book.” Watch as director Jon Favreau and Sherman collaborate to create additional lyrics and record a demo for the new version of the classic song, “I Wan’na Be Like You.” 
• The Jungle Effect – Experience more visual effects magic in this sequence that shows the evolution of key moments from “The Jungle Book.”
• Developing Kaa – See an early animatic that played a part in the development of the scene where Mowgli meets Kaa and learns more about the tale of the “red flower.” 
• “The Jungle Book” Around the World – Join the global celebration as Mowgli and Baloo sing “The Bare Necessities.”
• Classic Bonus Features**
• “The Jungle Book” Reimagined – Favreau sits down with producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato to discuss “The Jungle Book” and reflect on the years they devoted to the reimagining of this timeless tale. Discover how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, witness the technical wizardry that enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie-going experience, and learn how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovation playbook to make it all happen. Lastly, meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.
• I Am Mowgli – Follow the extraordinary journey of 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli “alongside” some of today’s biggest movie stars. Get a glimpse of Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, check out his audition that sealed the deal, and see how a close-working relationship with Favreau brought out his best. Plus, Neel shares how filming “The Jungle Book” was one wild ride, from working alongside imaginary animals to performing some super-fun stunts.
• King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.
• Audio Commentary – Favreau delivers his scene-by-scene perspective on the live-action adventure “The Jungle Book” with all the candor and humor you’d expect from this multi-talented actor-writer-director-producer.

* Bonus features may vary by retailer. New bonus content is available in the 3D Collector’s Edition package only.

**Classic bonus from the initial August 2016 release of “The Jungle Book”

Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “Chef”) and produced by Favreau and Brigham Taylor (executive producer of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Tomorrowland”), from a screenplay by Justin Marks, “The Jungle Book” is a live-action epic adventure based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories, inspired by Disney’s classic 1967 animated film and centered on Mowgli (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. 

The film’s musical score, composed by Emmy® winner and Oscar-, BAFTA- and Annie Award-nominee John Debney (“Elf,” “Iron Man 2”), features a classic orchestral sound accented by ethnic instruments and pays homage to the original film by highlighting snippets of the classic songs we all know and love.

Also available on Digital 3D by select digital retailers.

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Feature Run Time: Approximately 106 minutes

Rating: PG in U.S. and Canada 

Aspect Ratio: Blu-ray 3D Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 1.78:1

Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / Widescreen 1.85:1

DVD Feature Film = 1.85:1

Audio: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio,

Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

DVD = English, Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks,

English 2.0 Descriptive Audio

Languages/Subtitles: Blu-ray 3D & Blu-ray = English SDH, Spanish and French

DVD = English SDH, Spanish and French

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook: Facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook

Website: Movies.Disney.com/the-jungle-book-2016

Twitter: Twitter.com/TheJungleBook

Instagram: Instagram.com/disneythejunglebook

ABOUT DISNEY MOVIES ANYWHERE (DMA):

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it easy to buy Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere. Viewers can enjoy their digital movies from the comfort of their living room and across multiple mobile platforms by simply adding the free DMA app or channel to their devices, such as iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android mobile phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Xbox 360, and connecting to their DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, Microsoft Movies & TV and Fios by Verizon. DMA users can explore Disney’s library of over 450 digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, redeem Digital Movie codes found in eligible Disney, Pixar, Marvel, and Star Wars product, and earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Disney's The Jungle Book on Digital HD August 23 and on Blu-ray August 30

The Legend Comes to Life

Disney’s Groundbreaking, Live-Action Adventure

arrives on Digital HD August 23 and on Blu-ray™ August 30

And venture deep into the jungle with in-depth bonus features

BURBANK, Calif., July 7 2016 — Audiences were mesmerized by Disney’s live-action epic adventure “The Jungle Book,” which has earned more than $911 million at the global box office to date.  Critically acclaimed, Jon Favreau’s stunning live-action reimagining of Walt Disney’s animated classic, will be available early on Digital HD and Disney Movies Anywhere on August 23, and on Blu-ray Combo Pack, DVD and On-Demand on August 30.

Venture behind the scenes with in-depth bonus features that reveal the innovative filmmaking technology used to create the richly immersive jungle world and characters; Follow the journey of the film’s only on-screen actor, charismatic newcomer Neel Sethi (Mowgli); Delve into a candid and humorous scene-by-scene audio commentary with director Jon Favreau and meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.

The all-star cast includes Bill Murray (“Lost in Translation”) as the voice of Baloo, Sir Ben Kingsley (“Learning to Drive,” “The Walk”) as Bagheera and Lupita Nyong’o (“12 Years a Slave,” “Star Wars: The Force Awakens”) as the voice of mother wolf Raksha. Scarlett Johansson (“Avengers: Age of Ultron”) gives life to Kaa, Giancarlo Esposito (“Breaking Bad”) provides the voice of alpha-male wolf Akela, Idris Elba (“Beast of No Nation”) roars as the voice of Shere Khan, and Christopher Walken (“The Deer Hunter”) lends his iconic voice to King Louie. 

Bonus features include*:

BLU-RAY & DIGITAL HD:

“The Jungle Book” Reimagined – Favreau sits down with producer Brigham Taylor and visual effects supervisor Robert Legato to discuss “The Jungle Book” and reflect on the years they devoted to the reimagining of this timeless tale. Discover how Rudyard Kipling’s original stories and the classic animated film influenced their unique approach, witness the technical wizardry that enabled the team to create a believable and thrilling movie-going experience, and learn how they borrowed a page from Walt Disney’s innovation playbook to make it all happen. Lastly, meet the all-star voice cast who help bring the film’s colorful characters to life, as well as the musicians who accent the adventure with a majestic music score.

I Am Mowgli – Follow the extraordinary journey of 12-year-old Neel Sethi, who was selected from thousands of hopefuls worldwide to play Mowgli “alongside” some of today’s biggest movie stars. Get a glimpse of Neel’s life before Hollywood came calling, check out his audition that sealed the deal, and see how a close-working relationship with Favreau brought out his best. Plus, Neel shares how filming “The Jungle Book” was one wild ride, from working alongside imaginary animals to performing some super-fun stunts.

King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

Audio Commentary – Favreau delivers his scene-by-scene perspective on the live-action adventure “The Jungle Book” with all the candor and humor you’d expect from this multi-talented actor-writer-director-producer.  

DVD

King Louie’s Temple: Layer by Layer – So, exactly how do you create a musical number featuring one man-cub, a massive, legendary ape and an army of wild and wily monkeys in the Seeonee jungle? Viewers are granted rare and unique access to the development of the “I Wan’na Be Like You” sequence in which King Louie attempts to coerce Mowgli into giving up Man’s deadly “red flower” (fire). A fast-moving musical progression reel showcases storyboards, animatics, Christopher Walken’s recording session and visual effects layers, which ultimately merge to form one of the film’s most memorable scenes.

*Bonus features may vary by retailer

Note: The 3D version of The Jungle Book will be available later this year.

Directed by Jon Favreau (“Iron Man,” “Iron Man 2,” “Chef”) and produced by Favreau and Brigham Taylor (executive producer of “Pirates of the Caribbean: Dead Men Tell No Tales,” “Tomorrowland”), “The Jungle Book” is a live-action epic adventure based on Rudyard Kipling’s timeless stories, inspired by Disney’s classic 1967 animated film and centered on Mowgli (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.

The film’s musical score, composed by Emmy® winner and Oscar-, BAFTA- and Annie Award-nominee John Debney (“Elf,” “Iron Man 2”), features a classic orchestral sound accented by ethnic instruments and pays homage to the original film by highlighting snippets of the classic songs we all know and love.

DISC SPECIFICATIONS:

Product SKUs:                                 Digital HD/SD, Blu-ray Combo Pack, Disney Movies Anywhere, DVD and On-Demand 

Feature Run Time:                        Approximately 106 minutes

Rating:                                               PG in U.S. and Canada

Aspect Ratio:                                   Blu-ray Feature Film = 1080p High Definition / 1.85:1

                                                              DVD Feature Film = 1.85:1

Audio:                                                Blu-ray = English 7.1 DTS-HDMA & 2.0 Descriptive Audio,

                                                              Spanish and French 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks

                                                              DVD = English, French and Spanish 5.1 Dolby Digital Language Tracks,

                                                              English 2.0 Descriptive Audio

Languages/Subtitles:                   English, French & Spanish/English SDH, French & Spanish

SOCIAL MEDIA:

Facebook:                                                                                     Facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook

Website:                                                                                       Movies.Disney.com/ the-jungle-book-2016

Twitter:                                                                                          Twitter.com/TheJungleBook

Instagram:                                                                                    Instagram.com/disneythejunglebook

About Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA)

Disney Movies Anywhere (DMA) is an engaging and family-friendly cloud-based digital movie service that makes it simple to buy your favorite Disney, Pixar, Marvel and Star Wars movies once and watch them anywhere.  With DMA you can explore Disney’s library of over 450 eligible digital movies, discover hours of new and exclusive short-form content, and watch your digital movies from the comfort of the living room or across multiple mobile devices.   You can add the free DMA app to a multitude of devices including iPhone, iPad, iPod Touch, Android mobile phones and tablets, Android TV, Amazon’s Fire tablets, Fire TV and Fire TV Stick, Roku, and Xbox 360. Then, connect your DMA account with participating providers including iTunes, Amazon Video, VUDU, Google Play, and Microsoft Movies & TV and your eligible movies will be shared across all your connected platforms.  In addition, you can redeem Digital Copy codes found in Disney, Pixar and Marvel Blu-rays and DVDs, as well as earn Disney Movie Rewards points with every digital purchase.

ABOUT THE WALT DISNEY STUDIOS:

For over 90 years, The Walt Disney Studios has been the foundation on which The Walt Disney Company was built. Today, the Studio brings quality movies, music and stage plays to consumers throughout the world. Feature films are released under the following banners: Disney, including Walt Disney Animation Studios and Pixar Animation Studios; Disneynature; Marvel Studios; Lucasfilm; and Touchstone Pictures, the banner under which live-action films from DreamWorks Studios are distributed. The Disney Music Group encompasses the Walt Disney Records and Hollywood Records labels, as well as Disney Music Publishing. The Disney Theatrical Group produces and licenses live events, including Disney on Broadway, Disney On Ice and Disney Live!.

Review: The Jungle Book - The Classic Story is Reborn with Stunning Visuals

Heading into the live action Walt Disney Studio panel at the D23 Expo last year, I couldn't wait to see the first footage of Captain America: Civil War and hopefully more footage of Star Wars: The Force Awakens. But after the panel, I had been completely blown away by the first footage of The Jungle Book. Jon Favreau was on stage and introduced his new film as one of the most technically advanced films ever made. I'm sure that many of us in the 8,000 seat room laughed at him until he showed us the first footage and told us that everything was filmed in Los Angeles. What we saw was stunning, a fully rendered jungle with pretty much everything created on a computer except for young Neel Sethi who plays Mowgli. It was stunning to see something so lifelike. It was the most talked about footage of the entire panel.

Flashforward to April 4th, where I was invited by Dolby to attend the world premiere of the movie at the historic El Capitan Theatre in Hollywood. Up to this point every trailer and TV spot looked brilliant. I had high hopes for this film. When it was time to put on my 3D glasses and the theater dimmed I wondered if my high hopes were too high. The opening minutes made me realize that my expectations weren't high enough. The 3D is stunning, perhaps the best use since Avatar. You feel like you are watching a live action version of Disney's animated Tarzan when he is tree surfing.

We are immediately introduced to Mowgli and being part of a wolf pack. Mowgli is raised by Raksha (voiced by Lupita Nyong'o) and Akela (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito). Bagheera (voiced by Sir Ben Kingsley), a panther who found Mowgli, is there to help raise the man cub as well. The relationship between this man cub and the other animals of the jungle is fairly harmonious with the exception of the tiger Shere Khan (voiced by Idris Elba). Khan doesn't like humans since his face was badly burnt by one. He wants the wolves to turn over the man cub to him. Khan is also one of the best villains of the year. He is simply terrifying. Perhaps a bit too terrifying for little ones. There is a scene where even I was stunned by.

Mowgli decides to leave in hopes that no harm comes to the pack. Bagheera offers to take him back to the man village. After an attack by Shere Khan, Mowgli gets separated from Baheera and ends up meeting snake name Kaa (voiced by Scarlett Johansson) and a bear named Baloo (voiced by Bill Murray). Kaa adds another level of intensity to the film. Baloo adds a wonderful amount of sincerity, warmth and charm here. Plus, there is a fun rendition of, "The Bare Necessities."

While Mowgli is hanging out with Baloo, the massive King Louie (voiced by Christopher Walken) sets his sights on the man cub and his search for man's red flower, the animals term for fire. Louie just about steals the show and there is a classic tribute to one of Christopher Walkens classic SNL moments. And yes, you get to hear a rendition of the classic, "I Wan'na Be Like You."

Mowgli escapes King Louie's clutches and heads back to take on Shere Khan. The finale is an epic battle.

The film is filled with heart, humor and action. Some of the action may be too intense for younger viewers. The visual effects are astounding. The animals move with a strong physical sense of being. The animals and the environments seem real and the animals interact with Mowgli in a very natural way. The voice actors all add an amazing sense of depth to their characters. Yes, these computer generated animals feel real, with real hearts and real souls. I honestly believe kids will go to zoo's and believe that the animals looking back at them will speak to them.

The end credits make brilliant use of the classic fairytale book ending and you will also hear a great rendition of Scarlett Johansson singing, "Trust In Me." Plus, there is one more fun thing to pay attention. Just take a look to see where this movie was filmed on location at!

I cannot wait to see The Jungle Book again!

The Jungle Book opens in theaters April 15th!

*Disclaimer: Dolby invited myself and a guest to the world premiere. All opinions are strictly my own.*

PIXAR’S “FINDING DORY” REVEALS FULL CHARACTER AND VOICE TALENT ROSTER

BURBANK, Calif. (March 30, 2016) -- Disney•Pixar’s “Finding Dory” reveals its full roster of characters, as well as the voice talent tapped to help bring each character to life. Directed by Andrew Stanton, who helmed the Oscar®-winning films “Finding Nemo” and “WALL•E,” “Finding Dory” revisits everyone’s favorite blue tang Dory as she embarks on a life-changing adventure to find her family.

“It really is a whole new chapter this time,” said Stanton. “We’re introducing new characters—each with his or her own unique voice. Everyone has something special to offer, which makes it fun and elevates the whole story. ‘Finding Nemo’ was a great calling card when it came to casting this movie. I don’t take that for granted.”

“Finding Dory,” which opens in theaters nationwide on June 17, 2016, features the following lineup.

Ellen DeGeneres returns to the sea as Dory, the bright blue tang with a sunny personality. She suffers from short-term memory loss, which normally doesn’t upset her upbeat attitude—until she realizes she’s forgotten something big: her family. Dory’s found a new family in Marlin and Nemo, but she’s haunted by the belief that someone out there is looking for her. She may have trouble recalling exactly what—or who—she’s searching for, but she won’t give up until she uncovers her past and discovers something else along the way: self-acceptance.

Albert Brooks dives in again to help bring Marlin to life. He may have traveled across the ocean once, but that doesn’t mean Marlin wants to do it again. So he doesn’t exactly jump at the opportunity to accompany Dory on a mission to the California coast to track down her family. Marlin, of course, knows how it feels to lose family, and it was Dory who helped him find Nemo not so long ago. The clownfish may not be funny, but he’s loyal—he realizes he has no choice but to pack up his nervous energy and skepticism and embark on yet another adventure, this time to help his friend. 

·      Hayden Rolence was called on to voice Nemo. One year after his big overseas adventure,Nemo is back to being a normal kid: going to school and living on the coral reef with his dad and their blue tang neighbor, Dory. His harrowing adventure abroad doesn’t seem to have sapped his spirit. In fact, when Dory remembers pieces of her past and longs to take off on an ambitious ocean trek to find her family, Nemo is the first to offer his help. He may be a young clownfish with a lucky fin, but Nemo wholeheartedly believes in Dory. After all, he understands what it’s like to be different.

Disney's The Jungle Book - Idris Elba is Shere Khan

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."

The Jungle Book Official Big Game Trailer

The brand new trailer for Disney’s The Jungle Book is now available to share with your readers following an exclusive spot that aired during the Big Game. In addition to the spot, Disney and Twitter are delivering the trailer directly to any user who Tweets using #JungleBookTrailer. Users who ReTweet the trailer post from @TheJungleBook will get a special thank you from director Jon Favreau. 

Disney's THE JUNGLE BOOK- New Triptych Poster Now Available!

See the Disney tale come to life in the brand new triptych poster for The Jungle Book. See the film in theatres in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D April 15.

THE JUNGLE BOOK

DISNEY

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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. The wild adventure swings into theaters in 3D on April 15, 2016. For more information, check out Disney.com/thejunglebook, like us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/DisneyJungleBook, and follow us on Twitter: https://twitter.com/thejunglebookand Instagram:  https://www.instagram.com/disneythejunglebook/.

Introducing the Voice Cast for Disney's Zootopia!

Walt Disney Animation Studios revealed the roster of voice talent tapped to help bring a voice, snort and a roar to the animal residents of the modern-day mammal metropolis of “Zootopia,” which opens in theaters March 4, 2016. “We had so much fun casting this film,” said director Byron Howard. “‘Zootopia’ features such a large and diverse range of characters—one of our biggest casts ever for a Disney Animation film. We needed talented actors who could help bring these animals to life.”

Adds director Rich Moore, “Everyone in this incredible cast is bringing something special, something unexpected to their characters, which really takes our story to a whole new level.” 

Joining Ginnifer Goodwin, who provides the voice of Zootopia’s first bunny officer Judy Hopps; Jason Bateman, who lends his voice to con-artist fox Nick Wilde; and Shakira, who voices international superstar Gazelle, are the following members of the “Zootopia” voice cast.

·      Idris Elba (Netflix’s “Beasts of No Nation,” BBC’s “Luther”) provides the voice of CHIEF BOGO, head of the Zootopia Police Department. A tough cape buffalo with 2,000 lbs of attitude, Bogo is reluctant to add Judy Hopps, Zootopia’s first bunny cop, to his squad of hardened rhinos, elephants and hippos.

·      J.K. Simmons (“Juno,” Oscar® winner for “Whiplash”) lends his voice to MAYOR LEODORE LIONHEART, the noble leader of Zootopia, who coined the city’s mantra that Judy Hopps lives by: “In Zootopia, anyone can be anything.”

·      Nate Torrence (HBO’s “Hello Ladies,” Fox’s “Weird Loners”) lends his voice to the Zootopia Police Department’s most charming cheetah, BENJAMIN CLAWHAUSER. Clawhauser loves two things: pop star Gazelle and donuts. From his reception desk, he greets everyone with a warm smile and a helpful paw—covered in sprinkles.

·      Jenny Slate (“Obvious Child,” “Marcel the Shell”) provides the voice of ASSISTANT MAYOR BELLWETHER, a sweet sheep with a little voice and a lot of wool, who constantly  finds herself under foot of the larger-than-life Mayor Lionheart.

·      Tommy Chong (“Up in Smoke,” “That ’70s Show”) lends his iconic voice to YAX THE YAK, the most enlightened, laid-back bovine in Zootopia. When Judy Hopps is on a case, Yax is full of revealing insights.   

·      Octavia Spencer (“Insurgent,” Oscar® winner for “The Help”) voices MRS. OTTERTON, a desperate otter who turns to Officer Judy Hopps for help in solving her husband’s mysterious disappearance.

·      Bonnie Hunt (“Return to Me,” “Jerry Maguire”) provides the voice of BONNIE HOPPS, mother of Judy—and her 275 brothers and sisters. Mrs. Hopps loves and supports her daughter, but is a hare nervous about Judy moving to Zootopia to become a big-city police officer.  

·      Don Lake (“Dumb and Dumber To,” “The Bonnie Hunt Show”) voices Judy’s father, STU HOPPS, a carrot farmer from Bunnyburrow. Along with Mrs. Hopps, he is worried about Judy moving to Zootopia and the untrustworthy big-city mammals who live there—especially foxes. 

·      Alan Tudyk (“Rogue One: A Star Wars Story,” “Trumbo”) returns to Disney Animation’s recording studio for his fourth feature in a row as the voice of DUKE WEASELTON, a small-time weasel crook with a big-time weasel mouth, who tries to give Judy the slip during a police chase.

·      Tommy “Tiny” Lister (“Friday,” “The Fifth Element”) voices FINNICK, a fennec fox with a big chip on his adorable shoulder. 

·      Raymond Persi (“Wreck-It Ralph,” WDAS story artist) voices FLASH, the fastest sloth working at the DMV—the Department of Mammal Vehicles.

·      Katie Lowes (ABC’s “Scandal,” “Big Hero 6”) lends her voice to DR. MADGE HONEY BADGER, who heads up all of City Hall’s most pressing medical cases. 

·      Jesse Corti (“Frozen,” “Beauty and the Beast”) is the voice of the jaguar MANCHAS, a highly regarded chauffeur who works for the biggest—and shadiest—limo company in town. 

·      John DiMaggio (Fox’s “Futurama,” Cartoon Network’s “Adventure Time”) voices JERRY JUMBEAUX JR., the easily annoyed owner of Jumbeaux’s Café, his elephant ice cream parlor.

ABOUT THE MOVIE

The modern mammal metropolis of Zootopia is a city like no other. Comprised of habitat neighborhoods like ritzy Sahara Square and frigid Tundratown, it’s a melting pot where animals from every environment live together—a place where no matter what you are, from the biggest elephant to the smallest shrew, you can be anything. But when rookie Officer Judy Hopps (voice of Ginnifer Goodwin) arrives, she discovers that being the first bunny on a police force of big, tough animals isn’t so easy. Determined to prove herself, she jumps at the opportunity to crack a case, even if it means partnering with a fast-talking, scam-artist fox, Nick Wilde (voice of Jason Bateman), to solve the mystery. Walt Disney Animation Studios’ “Zootopia,” a comedy-adventure directed by Byron Howard (“Tangled,” “Bolt”) and Rich Moore (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “The Simpsons”), and produced by Clark Spencer (“Wreck-It Ralph,” “Lilo & Stitch”) opens in theaters on March 4, 2016.