Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley and Neel Sethi attend 'Jungle Book' premiere in LA

LOS ANGELES, April 5 (UPI) -- The Jungle Book cast members Lupita Nyong'o, Ben Kingsley and Neel Sethi, as well as their director Jon Favreau, attended the movie's Los Angeles premiere Monday night.

Based on Rudyard Kipling's stories and inspired by Disney's classic animated film, the eagerly awaited, live-action version of The Jungle Book is set for theatrical release on April 15.

It casts newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli, "a man-cub who's been raised by a family of wolves," said a Disney synopsis posted with the trailer on YouTube.

"But Mowgli finds he is no longer welcome in the jungle when fearsome tiger Shere Khan, who bears the scars of Man, promises to eliminate what he sees as a threat. Urged to abandon the only home he's ever known, Mowgli embarks on a captivating journey of self-discovery, guided by panther-turned-stern mentor Bagheera, and the free-spirited bear Baloo. Along the way, Mowgli encounters jungle creatures who don't exactly have his best interests at heart, including Kaa, a python whose seductive voice and gaze hypnotizes the man-cub, and the smooth-talking King Louie, who tries to coerce Mowgli into giving up the secret to the elusive and deadly red flower: fire."

Lending their voices to the film's photorealistic, CGI animals are Nyong'o, Kingsley, Idris Elba, Bill Murray, Scarlett Johansson, Christopher Walken and Giancarlo Esposito.