Baby Mowgli meets Bagheera
In a quick scene we see Bagheera, a jet black jaguar voiced by Ben Kingsley, creeping out of the shadows of the jungle to investigate Mowgli.
We then see the unafraid baby boy reach up to touch Bagheera's fur. All together now: Awwww! Bagheera still looks pretty stern, but even though there's no sign of them, fans of the original animated movie will know this is the moment where the jaguar puts the boy in the care of the wolf pack.
That's one giant monkey hand
The expression on Mowgli's face is priceless when the massive orangutan hand of King Louie - voiced by Christopher Walken - reaches out of his castle to grab some fruit.
Mowgli looks prettified - as would we all. King Louie seems to be channeling King Kong.
Shere Khan showdown
Idris Elba is voicing the terrifying tiger Shere Khan. Out of the grassy field the giant cat pounces, trying to attack Mowgli, but just in the nick of time Bagheera tackles the tiger to the ground.
It's not long before Khan fights off Bagheera and continues his fierce pursuit of Mowgli, forcing the young boy to jump off a cliff. Let's hope he lands in water. The tension is real.
Look for the bare necessities
After an intense and thrilling trailer the clip ends with a shot of a river - the same river that looks murky and scary at the start - now light and full of colour. Mowgli sits on the tummy of Baloo the care-free bear, voiced by Bill Murray, whistling the tune of the famous Jungle Book song The Bare Necessities.
It ends the trailer on a high note reassuring fans that this version of The Jungle Book will still have the lighthearted moments of the original animated feature.
- nzherald.co.nz
