The anticipated sequel to “Jungle Cruise” appears to be lacking in creativity,particularly with stars Dwayne johnson and Emily Blunt at the forefront. This dynamic duo previously led Disney’s 2021 adventure film about a riverboat captain who assists a scientist and her sibling on their quest for the Tree of Life. The film drew inspiration from the popular Disney theme park attraction, akin to “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
In an interview with Entertainment Weekly, Johnson expressed doubts about the sequel’s future, stating: “I don’t think so.”
The actor elaborated, saying, “When Disney transitioned to new leadership, they made critically important changes post-COVID. The pandemic altered our industry in numerous ways. They evaluated that property and thought, ‘We’ve done it once; not sure if we should revisit it.’ Regardless of how well our chemistry worked.”
Insights from Variety
Blunt chimed in with her thoughts: “They didn’t want to take that risk again, which is fair enough.”
Variety initially reported on plans for a “Jungle Cruise” sequel back in august 2021 after the family-amiable film surpassed $100 million at the domestic box office. Both Johnson and Blunt were set to reprise their roles as frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton respectively, while director Jaume Collet-Serra was also expected to return. However, concrete updates regarding the sequel’s advancement have been scarce since then.
Diving deeper into discussions during an Oscars red carpet event in March 2024, Johnson mentioned he would “possibly” be returning for another installment: “in due time, yes; I’d love to do it again. Perhaps we’ll see what happens.”
The pair appeared together again on September’s red carpet at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Smashing Machine,” where they reiterated their enthusiasm for creating a follow-up to “Jungle Cruise.” However, Blunt noted: “I feel like we need something fresh now; I’m thinking ‘What else can we do?’”
“Let’s reach out to Disney! Get us back on that boat,” she urged playfully while Johnson added: “We’re calling them tonight! We had such an amazing time.”
“Jungle Cruise,” released on July 30 both theatrically and via Disney Plus Premier Access for an additional fee of $30, grossed $34.2 million during its opening weekend from theaters alone while earning another $30 million through streaming services according to company reports. The movie maintained its momentum at box offices across its run—eventually reaching over $100 million domestically by its fifth weekend—and concluded its theatrical journey with global earnings totaling approximately $221 million.