Jon Favreau’s ‘The Jungle Book’ Finds Its Mowgli

Chosen from thousands of auditions, 10-year old Neel Sethi will be playing the part of Mowgli in Jon Favreau‘s version of Disney‘s The Jungle Book. Sethi was discovered after an extensive search ranging from New York to New Zealand, London to Canada, and India. It’s Sethi’s first time up on the bigscreen and he’ll be the only actor up there as the new Disney take on The Jungle Book is a combo of live-action and animation. Pic is slated for release on October 9, 2015 in 3D.

“Casting is the most important element of any film and finding the right kid to play Mowgli was imperative,” said Favreau in a statement, “Neel has tremendous talent and charisma. There is a lot riding on his little shoulders and I’m confident he can handle it.”

“Neel embodies the heart, humor, and daring of the character,” added casting director Sarah Finn. “He’s warm and accessible, yet also has an intelligence well beyond his years and impressed us all with his ability to hold his own in any situation. Even though he has no professional acting experience, his natural charisma and instincts jumped out at us.” Sethi is repped by DBA.

Related stories

Alejandro Gonzalez Inarritu Circles 'The Jungle Book' At Warner Bros

Jon Favreau In Talks To Helm New Disney Adaptation Of Kipling's 'The Jungle Book'

Cannes: Bradley Cooper Commits To 'Chef' As Cease And Desist Goes To Jon Favreau's Rival Chef Pic

Get more from Deadline.com: Follow us on Twitter, Facebook, Newsletter