Disney’s live-action The Jungle Book not only set a new April record, it also nearly doubled pre-release box office estimates. Directed by Jon Favreau, The Jungle Book rang up the biggest April opening weekend for a PG-rated film at $103.5 million. And only Furious 7, rated PG-13, scored a better April domestic opening overall than The Jungle Book. Prior to the film’s release critics were raving about Favreau’s film based on the Rudyard Kipling story and previously brought to life by Disney in animated form back in 1967. The Jungle Book currently sits at 95% fresh on RottenTomatoes with 173 critics giving it positive reviews and only nine awarding it a ‘rotten’ rating. Audiences also embraced the dramatic movie which features incredible CGI animals, awarding it an A Cinemascore on its opening day. Adding in the international take, The Jungle Book earned nearly $300 million over its first weekend in theaters.
The Jungle Book Plot: The Jungle Book is an all-new live-action epic adventure about Mowgli (newcomer Neel Sethi), a man-cub who’s been raised by a family of wolves. But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan (voice of Idris Elba), who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he’s ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera (voice of Ben Kingsley), and the free-spirited bear Baloo (voice of Bill Murray).
Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don’t exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa (voice of Scarlett Johansson), a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie (voice of Christopher Walken), who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire. The all-star cast also includes Lupita Nyong’o as the voice of the fiercely protective mother wolf Raksha, and Giancarlo Esposito as the voice of wolf pack’s alpha male Akela.
Box Office Top 10: April 15-17, 2016
- The Jungle Book – $103,567,000
- Barbershop: The Next Cut – $20,210,000
- The Boss – $10,170,000
- Batman v Superman: Dawn of Justice – $9,010,000
- Zootopia – $8,235,000
- Criminal – $5,850,000
- My Big Fat Greek Wedding 2 – $3,260,000
- Miracles From Heaven – $1,900,000
- God’s Not Dead 2 – $1,712,236
- Eye in the Sky – $1,561,998
