The Jungle Book (franchise) as Baloo, Ben Kingsley as Bagheera, Idris Elba as Shere Khan, Scarlett Johansson as Kaa, Lupita Nyong'o as Raksha, Giancarlo Esposito as Akela, and Christopher Walken as King Louie. The film was released on April 15, 2016 to critical acclaim. After a fierce tiger threatens his life, Mowgli, an orphan boy raised by wolves, leaves his jungle home and, guided by a stern panther and a free-spirited bear, sets out on a journey of self-discovery. Following the film's early financial and critical successes, the studio has begun work on a sequel film. Favreau is reported to return as director, while
Akela (The Jungle Book) Akela (The Jungle Book) Akela ( / "Akelā" also called The Lone Wolf or Big Wolf) is a fictional character in Rudyard Kipling's stories, "The Jungle Book" and "The Second Jungle Book". He is the leader of the Seeonee pack of Indian wolves and presides over the pack's council meetings. It is at such a meeting that the pack adopts the lost child Mowgli and Akela becomes one of Mowgli's mentors. "Akelā" means "single or solitary" in Hindi and Urdu. Kipling also calls him the "Lone Wolf: Kipling portrays Akela with the character of an English gentleman. This is shown