Favreau

Live-action adaptation casts its main antagonist…

Idris Elba (‘Mandela: Long Walk to Freedom,’ ‘Pacific Rim’) is to lend his voice to the villainous tiger Shere Khan in Disney’s upcoming live-action take on Rudyard Kipling’s ‘The Jungle Book,’ says Deadline.

With Jon Favreau behind the camera, the India-based tale follow the adventures of Mowgli, a young boy abandoned and brought up by wolves, and educated in the ways and secrets of the jungle by Kaa the python, Baloo the bear, and a black panther named Bagheera.

Additionally, it has been revealed that Lupita Nyong’o and Scarlett Johansson are in negotiations to join Elba. THR is hearing that ’12 Years A Slave’ star Nyong’o is to play Rakcha, a wolf who adopts Mowgli, while Johansson would voicing Kaa, a python who uses hypnotism to kill its prey.

Rob Legato will oversee the visual effects elements of the film. The award-winning effects supervisor is best known for his work on ‘The Wolf of Wall Street, ’‘Hugo,’ ‘Avatar,’ and ‘Titantic.’

Disney, in a race to beat rival ‘Jungle Book’ projects, is expected to get the film into production in the coming months.