Claim: Scarlett Johansson is an actress.

The Jungle Book is a 2016 American fantasy adventure film , directed and co-produced by Jon Favreau , produced by Walt Disney Pictures , and written by Justin Marks . Based on Rudyard Kipling 's eponymous collective works and inspired by Walt Disney 's 1967 animated film of the same name , The Jungle Book is a live-action/CGI film that tells the story of Mowgli , an orphaned human boy who , guided by his animal guardians , sets out on a journey of self-discovery while evading the threatening Shere Khan . The film introduces Neel Sethi as Mowgli and also features the voices of Bill Murray , Ben Kingsley , Idris Elba , Lupita Nyong ` o , Scarlett Johansson , Giancarlo Esposito and Christopher Walken .   Favreau , Marks and producer Brigham Taylor developed the film 's story as a balance between Disney 's animated adaptation and Kipling 's original works , borrowing elements from both into the film . Principal photography commenced in 2014 , with filming taking place entirely in Los Angeles . The film required extensive use of computer-generated imagery to portray the animals and settings .   The Jungle Book was released in North America in Disney Digital 3-D , RealD 3D , IMAX 3D , D-Box , and premium large formats , on April 15 , 2016 . It became a critical and commercial success , grossing over $ 966 million , making it the fifth highest-grossing film of 2016 and the 32nd highest-grossing film of all time . The film won the Academy Award for Best Visual Effects .