Scarlett Johansson and Lupita Nyong'o Might Be in The Jungle Book Film

By Night Editor | April 24, 2014 | 3:30am

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Lupita Nyong’o and Scarlett Johansson are reportedly “in talks” to join the cast of a new version of The Jungle Book.

OK, everyone settle down for a second. I said might. It’s not a done deal yet. But who cares! Let’s speculate wildly about how awesome this casting would be because my backup husband*, Idris Elba, is already cast to be in the same film. Via The Hollywood Reporter:

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[Johansson] and [Nyong’o] are in the middle of negotiations to join the already cast Idris Elba in what is being envisioned as a live-action/CG hybrid movie.Nyong’o is in final negotiations to play Rakcha, a mother wolf who adopts Mowgli. Johansson is in earlier stages of talks to voice the character of Kaa, the python who eats other animals by hypnotizing them. Kaa is the movie’s second villain after Shere Khan, the man-eating tiger being voiced by [Elba.]

In case you’re wondering, this is not the film that Andy Serkis is directing, which is supposed to be a pretty dark and gritty retelling of the classic Rudyard Kipling story. This is the one directed by Iron Man director Jon Favreau. Because the world needs two Jungle Book movies apparently. Although I guess two of those are better than one Battleship movie, so why the hell not.

We’re just now starting to see some of the films Nyong’o (who recently signed with powerhouse agency CAA and was just named People’s Most Beautiful) is being attached to since wining her best supporting Oscar for 12 Years a Slave. Big budget film, high profile cast—could be awesome. Or it could be Gothika. Or The Black Dahlia. Or Aeon Flux. Or Fred Claus. Please don’t let it be any of those things.

*In case things don’t work out with me and Daniel Craig.

Image via Getty Images.