How Disney spread Jungle Book fever

New York

"ALL of this, honestly, is one big magic trick." Those words, spoken by director Jon Favreau, were meant to sum up the technological wizardry on display in his hyper-realistic remake of The Jungle Book, which was largely created with computers. But Mr Favreau could also have been describing the way Walt Disney Studios used marketing sleight of hand to fill seats on opening weekend. The Jungle Book took in an astounding US$103.6 million in North America, according to Disney.

Studios hate to discuss their marketing for fear of coming across as corporate versions of Kaa, the slippery Jungle Book python who hypnotises prey. ("Trusssst in me.") But movies - especially ones as tricky as The Jungle Book, a stylised film based on a cartoon musical, based on a classic book - do not sell themselves.