On April 15, Walt Disney Pictures’ “The Jungle Book” opens in China and the U.S. For the Chinese version of the Rudyard Kipling classic book, actor Zhang Hanyu would be the voice talent for the Black Panther.
The panther is one of the animals that raised orphan boy Mowgli. The others are a bear and a pack of wolves. The panther is Mowgli’s life teacher and most reliable friend.
China Entertainment News reported that besides Zhang, another Chinese actor, Guo Tao, is in the voice cast of the Chinese version of “The Jungle Book” as Baloo, a bear that saves Mowgli from the tiger. Baloo would be the boy’s tutor on the Law of the Jungle.
Aside from his stint in the Disney movie, Zhang was chosen last week by director John Woo to be the lead actor of “Manhunt,” together with Masaharu Fukuyama, a Japanese actor. Zhang is identified with his role in “Assembly,” a 2007 war film that made him famous in China.
The entire movie is animated, except for its human lead, Neel Sethi who plays Mowgli. For the U.S. version of the film, the other voice talents are Lupita Nyong’o as Raksha, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, Christopher Walken as King Louie and Sir Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, reported Forbes.
There has been on press screening yet of the whole film, but preliminary footage has been released as well as several trailers. Those who have seen the footage and trailers say the animated film is spectacular.