All Aboard: Disney Confirms 'Jungle Cruise' Sequel Is In The Works
As one of the summer’s biggest blockbusters, fans have been wondering whether or not Disney’s Jungle Cruise will get the sequel treatment — yep, it’s happening
Even though the film industry has remained in flux for the greater part of the last 18 months due to movie theater closures as a result of the pandemic and the rise of streaming options bringing big screen blockbusters home, there have no doubt been some big triumphs.
Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which swung into theaters and on Disney+ late last month, is one such success. The Hollywood Reporter notes that on the heels of the comedy adventure flick crossing the $100 million mark in domestic box office sales, there’s already a sequel in the works — and much of the creative team behind the first one is said to be returning for part two.
THR reports that Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are back on board to reprise their roles as the silly skipper Frank Wolff and researcher Dr. Lily Houghton, respectively, with plenty behind-the-scenes talent returning for the sequel, including co-writer Michael Green, director Jaume Collet-Serra, executive producer Scott Sheldon, and the film’s producing team of John Davis, John Fox, Beau Flynn, Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia.
Johnson confirmed the news on Twitter, though he didn’t say much about what’s in store for the sequel, writing only, “This is going to be FUN!”
Despite the pandemic continuing worldwide, Jungle Cruise has proven to be a hit for Disney, bringing in $187 million worldwide thanks to box office receipts and more than $30 million in Disney+ Premier Access in its first three days alone, as Disney reps told THR. So it’s not a huge surprise that they’re chugging along to recreate some of that magic one more time.
The first film, which was based on the iconic theme park attraction, had been in development since 2004 (!) and hit production delays due to the pandemic in late 2020. Fans definitely seem excited to wade back into the waters with Blunt and Johnson, sharing their reactions on Twitter after Johnson confirmed the news.
So far, there’s no word on when fans can expect to see the backside of water once again, but here’s hoping the sequel retains the spirit of the attraction it was based on and ups the ante. (So, yeah, that means we’re hoping for plenty more of Frank’s corny jokes. Just don’t get into an argument with a rhino…they’ll always get their point across.)
