The Jungle Book: 17 Easter Eggs & References You Need To See
16. Fantasound
From the very first moment, Jon Favreau's commitment to soaking every detail of the film in nostalgia and the familiar magic of Disney is very evident. As the castle appears, the music consciously channels the 1967 original, as Favreau revealed when explaining his approach to the sequence:
"... John Debney re-orchestrated the opening Disney theme over the logo using the orchestration that they would have used then, with harp and chimes, a much smaller orchestra, a very different orchestra from whats being used now."
More generally, the film is - incredibly - filmed using Fantasound, the invention by Walt Disney designed to change the way cinema audiences experienced movie sound when Fantasia came out. Unfortunately for Disney, investors balked at the idea of his five speaker system that would "float" secondary sounds around the theatre to give a more immersive experience.
That same principle is used for The Jungle Book - which isn't surprising since Jon Favreau typically uses it to inspire his creative teams - with Favreau and Debney isolating instruments to build a soundscape. The result is subtle but brilliant, and it's testament to the director's approach to detail.