I am receiving an all expense paid trip from Disney to attend the #JungleBookEvent. The opinions expressed here are my own and I received no monetary compensation.
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I recently received the email of a lifetime from Disney. It included an invitation to attend the #JungleBookEvent, where I will be attending the red carpet premier and after party of the new live-action film. I get to get dolled up and walk alongside the stars (and hopefully not fall on my face). Let’s hope I find a red carpet worthy dress before then! If you couldn’t tell, I’m a huge Disney fan and being able to be right in the middle of the action will be surreal. I’m still pinching myself and wondering if they got the correct email address.
While I’m in Los Angeles, I’ll be interviewing director Jon Favreau, Neel Sethi (the actor who portrays Mowgli), Oscar winner Lupita Nyong’o (voice of Raksha), Oscar winner Sir Ben Kingsley (voice of Bagheera) and Emmy nominated actor Giancarlo Esposito (voice of Akela). I’ve got my recorder ready to go and I’ve been doing some Jungle Book research. The Jungle Book opens everywhere April 15th and looks amazing! Here’s more info from some of the individuals I’ll be interviewing and check out those gorgeous photos!
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Lupita Nyong’o voices Raksha, a mother wolf who cares deeply for all of her pups–including man-cub Mowgli, whom she adopts as one of her own when he’s abandoned in the jungle as an infant. “She is the protector, the eternal mother,” says Nyong’o. “The word Raksha actually means protection in Hindi. I felt really connected to that, wanting to protect a son that isn’t originally hers but one she’s taken for her own.”
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Akela is the strong and hardened alpha-male wolf who shoulders the responsibility of his pack. He welcomes Mowgli to the family, but worries he may one day compromise their safety. “Akela is a fierce patriarch of the wolf pack,” says Giancarlo Esposito, who voices the character. “He believes the strength of the pack lies in what each and every wolf offers. He’s a great leader, a wise teacher.”
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Bagheera is a sleek panther who feels it’s his duty to help the man-cub depart with dignity when it’s time for him to leave his jungle home. “Bagheera is Mowgli’s adoptive parent,” says Ben Kingsley, who lends his voice to Bagheera. “His role in Mowgli’s life is to educate, to protect and to guide. My Bagheera was military–he’s probably a colonel. He is instantly recognizable by the way he talks, how he acts and what his ethical code is.”
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If that wasn’t cool enough, I’ll also be joining Disney XD for a special screening of the hilarious new hidden camera-practical joke series Walk the Prank (it premiers on April 6th). The show features live-action scripted comedy interspersed with fully produced unscripted pranks and follows an ensemble cast as they plan and execute hilarious over-the-top pranks for an online hidden camera show. After the screening, we’ll view production for an upcoming episode and interview members of the Walk the Prank cast at Paramount Studios. I can’t wait!
Make sure to follow The Jungle Book on Facebook, Twitter, IG, Pinterest and G+. You can also follow Walt Disney Pictures on Tumblr and YouTube. The Jungle Book opens in theaters everywhere in 3D, RealD 3D, and IMAX 3D on April 15th!
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Want to follow along my red carpet adventure April 3-5?
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Have a question you’d like me to ask? Let me know!