The Jungle Book remake misses out on Beatles musical cameo – just like the original
Director Jon Favreau revealed he wanted to get Paul McCartney and Ringo Starr to feature in the new Jungle Book, but it didn't work out
It's one of the great missed movie opportunities: the time The Beatles didn't cameo in Disney's The Jungle Book.
In case you don't know this particular story, in the film there are four vultures with slightly dodgy Liverpudlian accents and mop top hairstyles who sing oft-overlooked Jungle Book number That’s What Friends Are For.
Originally, the film-makers wanted John Lennon, Paul McCartney, George Harrison and Ringo Starr to voice the vultures, but, depending on who you talk to, either because of scheduling issues or because Lennon didn't want to play ball, it didn't happen.
Now, according to Jon Favreau, history is repeating itself.
The director of the new version of The Jungle Book says he wanted to get Paul and Ringo involved in the new movie and right the 1967 wrong – but the idea never took flight.
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"We don't have the Beatle-vultures," he said in the new issue of Radio Times magazine. "I did talk about trying to get Paul and Ringo into the film, because they wanted the Beatles for the original, but I couldn't get them.
"We came to the idea too late. Maybe if there's a sequel..."
Music to our ears, Jon.
Read the full interview with director Jon Favreau in the new issue of Radio Times magazine, in shops and on the Apple Newsstand from Tuesday 5th April. And read a special tribute to comedy great Ronnie Corbett, featuring exclusive photographs and much more.
