WHO will be the King of the Swingers now there’s two Jungle VIPs?

Disney is swinging forward with its new adaptation of The Jungle Book, due for release next October.

This is seriously exciting news for a fan like me who has childhood memories of copying Colonel Hathi’s elephant march and other jungle related fun.

The movie has some illustrious names involved. Iron Man director Jon Favreau’s film is set to combine live action and CGI and star Mandela: Long Walk To Freedom star Idris Elba as man-eating tiger Shere Khan with Lupita Nyong’o and Scarlett Johansson looking set to join the cast and Avatar’s Rob Legato behind the special effects.

I’d have thought it’s the sort of project that could do a Lion King on us and make it seriously big on the stage as well.

But the Disney version of Jungle Book is one of two projects under way. With Rudyard Kipling’s 1894 book well into the public domain, Warner Bros.

has been developing their own live action version – a kind of spoiler hundreds of years on if you will.

Their Jungle Book also sounds rather impressive with Harry Potter scribe Steve Kloves providing the screenplay and Andy Serkis of Lord of the Rings fame directing.

You wait nearly 50 years for a decent remake of the beautiful tale of man cub Mowgli and his adventures and then two come along at once.

As long as both have got the bare necessities, I’ll be happy.

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