Back in November we found out that Iron Man director Jon Favreau was in talks to make a new version of The Jungle Book for Disney.

While the movie will be a live-action adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tale, the first casting announcement is for a voice actor. Pacific Rim and Thor star Idris Elba is in final negotiations to voice Shere Khan, the killer tiger who stalks Mowgli, a young orphaned boy raised in the jungle by wolves.

This new take on The Jungle Book will also feature plenty of visual effects that will be overseen by two-time Academy Award winner Rob Legato, whose previous credits include Avatar, Titanic, Hugo, and The Wolf of Wall Street.

Warner Brothers also has a live-action adaptation of The Jungle Book on the way (Kipling’s work is in the public domain), leading Disney to put their version on the fast track.

[Source: Deadline]