Bill Murray cast as Baloo in Disney's The Jungle Book

The live-action film version of Rudyard Kipling's classic book already has a stellar cast that includes Idris Elba and Scarlett Johansson

Bill Murray will voice Baloo in the forthcoming film (Getty Images)

Bill Murray will be joining the cast of Disney’s live action film adaptation of Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book.

The Ghostbusters and Lost in Translation actor is the latest name to be added to the stellar line-up, which includes Lupita Nyong’o as Rakcha; Ben Kingsley as panther Bagheera; Scarlett Johansson as python Kaa; and Idris Elba as villainous tiger Shere Khan.

The Jungle Book will be a combination of live action and animation. Murray will lend his voice to Baloo, who Kipling described as a “sleepy brown bear”. The role will see Murray reuniting with his Lost in Translation co-star Johansson.

Last month it was announced that the part of Mowgli had been given to 10-year-old New Yorker Neel Sethi, who fought off tough competition from thousands of other hopefuls from around the world.

“Neel has tremendous talent and charisma. There is a lot riding on his little shoulders and I’m confident he can handle it,” said director Jon Favreau.

Disney’s orphan Mowgli dancing with Baloo

The Jungle Book

will be based on Kipling’s books and tell the story of an orphan boy raised in the wild by a pack of wolves, a bear and a black panther.

This is not the first live-action film version of the classic children’s book. In 1994 Rudyard Kipling's The Jungle Book was released featured Jason Scott Lee as Mowgli, starring alongside John Cleese, Lena Headey and Jason Flemyng.

The Jungle Book is slated for released in UK cinemas on 16 October 2015.

Read more: The Jungle Book casts newcomer Neel Sethi as Mowgli
Ben Kingsley to voice Bagheera alongside Lupita Nyong'o
Idris Elba to voice tiger villain Shere Khan