SPOILERS: 'Jungle Book' director discusses that shocking screen death
Audiences have flocked to see The Jungle Book, which took a shocking $103.6 million at the box office.
Even more shocking? The onscreen death, which serves as a heart-wrenching and pivotal moment in Disney's PG-rated, live-action version of Rudyard Kipling's classic stories.
Alert! Stop reading further if you haven't seen the blockbuster film in theaters. SPOILERS to follow!
'Jungle Book' roars to rule box office with a wild $103.6 million
First and foremost, director Jon Favreau points out that death is pretty common in Disney movies, in everything from Bambi to The Lion King and Finding Nemo. Further, there were deaths in the Kipling stories about a boy raised by wolves in the jungle, published in 1894.
"So it's a tip of the hat to Rudyard Kipling and the Disney tradition," Favreau tells USA TODAY. "There usually is death and the hero is often either orphaned or separated from his parents."
The slaughter of the father wolf Akela (voiced by Giancarlo Esposito) with a savage bite and throw by the tiger Shere Khan (Idris Elba) serves as a key plot point to propel Akela's human son Mowgli (Neel Sethi) to take action.
"It sets up the character really well. And it also shows that The Jungle Book is set in a dangerous world," says Favreau.
While a surprise, Favreau says the death wasn't graphic onscreen: "We cut away from the violence and show just enough to communicate what happens."
However, he knows the death will be a talking point.
"It's amazing how much impact just a small amount of violence has, or even alluding to it," says Favreau, noting the impact is multiplied with family fare.
He points out that audiences don't seem to notice other movies which have "body counts" and "death all over the place."
"There are constantly people being hurt in the Marvel movies, But no one ever comments on that," says Favreau, who directed Iron Man and Iron Man 2. "But it's something about seeing it in a Disney movie. Because the world feels like there’s this emotion in it. It’s interesting."
