Home / News & Rumors / Bill Murray To Sing ‘Bare Necessities’ As Baloo For Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’

Bill Murray To Sing ‘Bare Necessities’ As Baloo For Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’

December 22, 2014

8716-8716-1

Photo credit: Image Collect

Walt Disney’s 1967 version of Rudyard Kipling’s classic tales of an Indian boy raised by wolves definitely set the standard when it comes to animated musicals, but now we are being treated with a new take on this classic and it appears it is going to be awesome.

The song is simply a Bare Necessity

While the shooting has already began, Jon Favreau still has some surprises for us as he has just revealed that Bill Murray, who is playing one of the most beloved Disney characters of all time – ursine sidekick Baloo, will himself sing the famous cheerful tune known as “Bare Necessities.”

This comes as a bit of a surprise since Favreau has stated that he won’t be directly replicating the 1967 cartoon version, but (luckily) it seems that some parts are just so iconic and can’t be omitted.

“Although it’s not a musical, we wanted to work in the more memorable moments from the ‘67 film. It’s ‘Bare Necessities,’ how do you not do that?” Favreau enthusiastically explained when he was asked if the famous Baloo’s song will be revisited.

The Rest of the Crew?

Mowgli is played physically on screen by a ten-year-old future star, Neel Sethi, and Bill Murray is not the only uber-star to lend his voice to the CG animal characters surrounding the little Indian boy.

Ben Kingsley will be voicing panther Bagheera, Lupita Nyong’o will be wolf mother Rackcha, and Scarlett Johansson will be hissing as a charming but deadly snake Kaa. Christopher Walken will probably nail his part as monkey King Louie.

The Jungle Book will be hitting big screens in October next year.