King Louie is a secondary antagonist of 2016 live-action remake The Jungle Book. Instead of being an orangutan, this version of Louie is a Gigantopithecus. The reason for the change was because real orangutans are not natives to India, and Gigantopithecus fossil remains have been found in India. In this incarnation, Louie is more sinister and villainous; though he can be suave, polite, and charming, he can become impatient, spiteful, and aggressive within moments, especially when things do not go his way. It is also clear that he plans to use the power of fire to take over the jungle. Christopher Walken also describes Louie as standing "around 12 feet tall".
Role in the film[]
King Louie appears when the Bandar Log monkeys, under his command, kidnap and bring Mowgli to him. He later appears from the shadows of the innermost area of his temple home, introducing himself in a polite and charming manner, and offering fruit to Mowgli in order to curry his favor. Knowing that Mowgli wanted to stay in the jungle, he also says that he can protect the man-cub, but will only do so for a price; the secret to creating fire so that he and Mowgli can dominate the jungle. He even starts singing his song, "I Wanna Be Like You", momentarily to convince Mowgli into joining him. However, Mowgli does not know how to create fire, causing the Gigantopithecus to become more and more impatient and menacing. As he begins to lose his temper, Baloo the bear appears, having come after Mowgli. Louie orders the bear removed from the temple, but Baloo stalls and distracts him with various compliments and a desire to become a Bandar Log monkey, allowing Bagheera the black panther to sneak in and escort Mowgli to safety. However, the escape is thwarted when one of Louie's monkeys spots them. He orders the three captured and then chases them personally when they escape his forces. Louie then chases after Mowgli himself as his monkeys fight off Baloo and Bagheera and engages in a game of cat and mouse within the temple, revealing to the man-cub the death of Mowgli's friend and father-figure, Akela the wolf at the teeth of Shere Khan and saying that Akela's death was probably Mowgli's fault as part of his attempt to coerce the boy into staying with him. When Mowgli refuses to believe him and tries to escape, Louie breaks several of the support columns in the temple, causing it to collapse and crush him. Louie's Bandar Log minions try to dig him out of the rubble, while Mowgli, Bagheera, and Baloo leave the temple. It is unknown whether if King Louie was either killed or if he was badly injured after being buried under all of the rubble. During the end credits, however, Louie pops out of the rubble and starts singing his song again. While the monkeys rebuild the ruins, Louie accidentally knocks some more of the pillars.
Gallery[]
Screenshots[]
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Miscellaneous[]
Trivia[]
- King Louie's species in the 2016 film Gigantopithecus, is considered a close relative to the modern orangutan, leading to his appearance closely resembling an orangutan, besides his enormous size. Furthermore, the real-life Gigantopithecus were built like gorillas, despite having orange fur and an orangutan-like face.
Variants[]
