The “Jungle Cruise” sequel is likely dead, at least according to stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. The duo headlined Disney’s 2021 adventure movie about a riverboat captain who guides a scientist and her brother on a mission to find the Tree of Life. The film was inspired by the Disney theme park ride, similar to “Pirates of the Caribbean.”
When asked by Entertainment Weekly about whether or not the sequel remains on deck, Johnson answered: “I don’t think so.”
“I think when Disney came under new leadership, they just shifted coming out of COVID,” the actor continued. “COVID shifted our business in a lot of ways. I think they looked at that property and thought, ‘We did it once, not sure if we should revisit it again.’ Despite whether or not our chemistry was great.”
Blunt added, “They did not want to set sail again, and that’s fine.”
Variety first reported on a “Jungle Cruise” sequel in August 2021, shortly after the family tentpole crossed $100 million at the domestic box office. Johnson and Blunt were locked in to return as riverboat captain Frank Wolff and the brave explorer Dr. Lily Houghton, respectively, while director Jaume Collet-Serra was also expected to return. But more concrete news of the sequel’s development never came in the years that followed.
Speaking to Variety on the Oscars’ red carpet in March 2024, Johnson said he would “possibly” be coming back for a second film. He added: “Down the line, yeah, I’d wanna do it. Maybe, we’ll see.”
Johnson and Blunt were on the red carpet in September at the Los Angeles premiere of “The Smashing Machine” and continued to express interest in making a “Jungle Cruise” sequel, although Blunt noted: “I feel like we gotta do something else now. I’m like, ‘What else?’”
“Call Disney. Get us back on that boat,” Blunt added, with Johnson weighing in: “We’re calling those guys tonight. We had so much fun.”
“Jungle Cruise” launched on July 30, both in theaters and on Disney Plus Premier Access, for an additional price tag of $30. In its opening weekend, it took in $34.2 million in ticket sales from theaters and $30 million from Disney Plus, the company reported. The film kept afloat at the box office, climbing its way to $100 million domestically after its fifth weekend. At the worldwide box office, the movie ended its run with $221 million.
variety.com
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