More Reasons to Love THE JUNGLE BOOK #JungleBookBluray

When I first saw THE JUNGLE BOOK at the Dolby Cinema at AMC Prime, I was blown away by the visual effects and how quickly I was captivated by this imaginative world. In truth, like many, as a big fan of the original animated version of the film, I wasn’t sure how well I would like the reimagined version.  My worries were quickly set aside immediately as I found myself loving every second of this delightfully well-crafted movie.  I wanted to share the experience with everyone and definitely knew THE JUNGLE BOOK was a keeper I’d want to add to my personal movie library collection.

Thanks to my friends at Disney, THE JUNGLE BOOK has taken a honored spot on our Disney favorites shelf and today, everyone can own a copy as Disney’s groundbreaking, live-action adventure is now available on Blu-ray™!

After seeing the film and falling in love with the characters (you can find my full review of the THE JUNGLE BOOK at: https://ruralmom.com/2016/04/7-reasons-the-jungle-book-movie.html,) I was very curious about the behind-the-scenes action.  How did the film come together?  How long did it take to create this magical world?  What was the casting process like?  And how on earth did they make it all look so real?

Some of these answers I learned during a live interview with Brigham Taylor (Producer) and Rob Legato (Visual Effects Supervisor) and I was thrilled to see them deliver a complete behind-the-scenes view in the extras included with the THE JUNGLE BOOK on Blu-ray and Digital HD.   The bonus features are truly enjoyable and really enhanced my understanding not only of how this complex film came to life, but also enriched my understanding of how the film connects to the original storybook by Rudyard Kipling.

Bonus features for THE JUNGLE BOOK include (*Bonus features may vary by retailer):

THE JUNGLE BOOK 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.

THE JUNGLE BOOK 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.

For fans who would like to own a 3D version of The Jungle Book, this version will be available later this year.

Take a step inside the film with a preview of extras in these special clips:

It’s easy to see how these special bonus features offer remarkable insight into the creation of THE JUNGLE BOOK film.  I especially love watching Neel’s audition.  He’s truly has a wonderful personality onscreen and off.  They really couldn’t have picked a more perfect actor for the role of Mowgli – he’s simply charming!