It's official: Disney theme park ride of the same name and created a rollicking new story very much in the vein of Pirates of the Caribbean.
Though there was some trepidation from audiences regarding Jungle Cruise ahead of its release, the movie has proven to be a pandemic-era breakout success. After earning a better than expected $35 million in its first weekend on top of additional Disney+ grosses, Jungle Cruise has displayed excellent staying power at the box office. This past weekend, it crossed $100 million domestically, making it only the fifth movie this year to do so. Back when it was first released, Johnson confirmed sequel talks were already kicking off, and now it looks like they've moved forward even further.
Per THR, Jungle Cruise 2 is now in the works at Disney. Both Blunt and Johnson are expected to return as characters Dr. Lily Houghton and Frank Wolff, respectively, and Collet-Serra is similarly expected to be back as director. Screenwriter Michael Green will once again pen the script. Additionally, the first Jungle Cruise's producing team are also expected to return: John Davis, John Fox, Beau Flynn, Johnson, Dany Garcia and Hiram Garcia, with Scott Sheldon as an executive producer.
There's no word yet on whether Jungle Cruise's third lead, Jack Whitehall, will return for the sequel, or what the overall production timeline is. However, as sequel talks only really began in late July, one can assume Jungle Cruise 2 is still in very early development. Green will likely begin work on the script soon (if he has not already), and depending on Johnson and Blunt's busy schedules, filming might not kick off until much later in 2022. Still, Disney might want to move quickly with Jungle Cruise 2 in order to capitalize on the interest stirred up by the first movie.
The next question on fans' minds just might be what Jungle Cruise 2 will be about. The first movie told a contained adventure involving Lily's search for a mythical tree, and a sequel could see her embark on a brand new quest with Frank at her side. A romantic relationship blossomed between the two in Jungle Cruise, and the sequel can deepen it even further. Additionally, Jungle Cruise 2 can perhaps help differentiate the budding franchise from the movies it has drawn many comparisons to, Pirates of the Caribbean and The Mummy. This seems like an exciting opportunity for the property, so hopefully the creative team takes full advantage of this sequel and make something special.
Source: THR
