This live action film required the use of over two hundred trained animals including fifty tigers and fourteen purebred wolves.
The film was originally intended to be an independent production. Then Disney became involved and provided additional financing, increasing its budget from $18 million to nearly $30 million in the process. Executive producer Sharad Patel produced a direct prequel to this film, The Second Jungle Book: Mowgli & Baloo (1997), which was independently financed and released by Tri-Star.
During all the scenes involving Shere Khan the set was cleared of non-essential personnel.
Disney's first live action remake.
Filming in Monkey City proved to be quite difficult. It was already extremely hot in India (where the scenes were filmed) and the flame ledges used toward the end of the film, routinely caused the ambient temperature to reach 137°F.