Idris Elba lends his dulcet tones to The Jungle Book

Idris Elba is set to star in Jon Favreau’s upcoming adaptation of Rudyard Kipling’s The Jungle Book.

The British actor will voice the character of Shere Khan, the nefarious tiger who hunts the wolf-raised man-cub, Mowgli, according to The Hollywood Reporter.

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Disney are reportedly still on the hunt for an actor to play Mowgli in the remake, which will focus on Kipling’s follow-up short story, Mowgli’s Brothers, first published in 1894.

Favreau’s take on the classic, scripted by Street Fighter: The Legend of Chun-Li writer Justin Marks, will be made using a mix of live-action and CGI, and is one of two competing remakes currently in development. Warner Bros are also planning a similar project to be directed by Oscar-winner Ron Howard.

Disney's 1967 animated musical remains the most famous on-screen incarnation of The Jungle Book, though live-action versions were also made in 1942 and 1994. Favreau’s Jungle Book is slated for release in October, 2015.