Sir Ben Kingsley: The Jungle Book is Faithful to the Novel

With the new Disney film The Jungle Book opening this weekend, there's an overall sense of excitement and nostalgia in the air. Fans are wondering, will the book live up the animated film? Or what about Rudyard Kipling's original novel?

According to Sir Ben Kingsley, who plays the voice of Bagheera, the film is "faithful to the original book." Most specifically, he feels that the version of manhood, and what young boys should aspire to be, that Kipling puts forth in the book is still intrinsic in the film and especially in his character, Bagheera.

Here is a clip of Sir Ben Kingsley talking about the subject on a recent visit to Larry King Now:

He also talks with Larry about how he landed the role of Bagheera. Sir Ben Kingsley got to know the director, Jon Favreau, while filming Iron Man 3. And when Kingsley was approached about the part at a Golden Globes party a couple years ago, he said 'yes' before Favreau could even finished his sentence.

But one of the most interesting realizations he had, once he finished reading the part, was that he believes that Bagheera is actually a personification of Rudyard Kipling himself and the author associated himself with the character, especially his teacher, mentor, and superior military traits.

Find out more about Sir Ben Kingsley's thoughts on the film in the clip below:

And you can also watch the full interview here.

The Jungle Book his theaters everywhere Friday, April 15, 2016.