The 2021 release of Jungle Cruise, although highly anticipated, was not the blockbuster it promised to be. Based on the original Disneyland ride of the same name, the film follows Dr. Lily Houghton and her brother MacGregor as they enlist the aid of pun-loving skipper Frank Wolff and his steamboat to venture down the Amazon River in search of an all-healing ancient tree. The ride has long been a classic staple of Disney parks, originally designed and first operated by Walt Disney himself.
Jungle Cruise does a great job of capturing the swashbuckling spirit of any Disney adventure tale, and it also succeeds at paying homage to the beloved theme park ride. The cast members’ passion and love for the film make it truly magical, and the story of the long-gestating production of Jungle Cruise is proof that the crew’s dedication to and belief in their movie are paramount. This dedication, however, did not save the Disney film from bringing in mediocre reviews and delivering an underwhelming performance at the box office.
Why Jungle Cruise Took 17 Years to Release
Emily Blunt Needed Convincing
Emily Blunt’s brother, Sebastian, has a quick cameo as a security guard.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra is most well-known for his horror and thriller films, including House of Wax (2005), and The Shallows (2016).
Johnson and Blunt were both directly involved in the production and marketing of the film, getting together frequently to discuss strategies and the ever-changing release plans.
When Jungle Cruise was announced in 2004, it was originally set to be produced by scriptwriters Josh Goldstein and John Norville for Mandeville films. At this time, the story was going to take place in the 20th century, with a loose basis on the Disney ride. Two years later, scriptwriting duties reportedly were switched over to Alfred Gough and Miles Millar, who had previously worked on several other Disney film productions. As of 2011, the main characters were set to be played by Toy Story franchise actors Tom Hanks and Tim Allen. The script was again handed over to a different writer, this time to Shrek co-writer Roger S.H. Schulman.
From 2015 to 2018, production on Jungle Cruise began moving significantly. Scriptwriters John Requa and Glenn Ficarra were set to revamp Goldstein and Norville’s original script into a more period-relevant one, now taking place in the early 1900s. At this point, Walt Disney Pictures had taken over Jungle Cruise, and Dwayne Johnson was announced to star in the titular role of skipper Frank Wolff. As a longtime Disney lover, Johnson was thrilled with the role and decided to be a co-producer on the film with his company, Seven Bucks Productions.
Johnson was adamant that Emily Blunt star alongside him in the role of Dr. Lily Houghton. This proved to be easier said than done, however; Blunt, who was trying to take a break after filming Mary Poppins Returns and A Quiet Place consecutively, originally declined the role. She remained unmoved of the proposition even after the chief of Disney’s movie studio, Sean Bailey, wrote her a personal letter trying to convince her to participate in the film. Johnson was undeterred, though, and still determined to get Blunt in the cast. In the fall of 2017, he filmed a heartfelt video explaining why she was necessary to the success of the film. Director Jaume Collet-Serra flew out to New York with a Jungle Cruise script and Johnson’s video in hand to meet Blunt, who was eventually won over and agreed to take on the role.
Jungle Cruise Had Filming Troubles and Release Delays
Jungle Cruise features one of the biggest sets made for a Disney movie.
Past cinematic inspirations for the film include The African Queen (1951), Romancing the Stone (1984), Pirates of the Caribbean (2003), and the Indiana Jones movies.
Producers worked closely with Disney Imagineers, the engineering minds behind the rides and attractions of Disney parks, on the construction of the film set.
Every big-budget production has its share of filming troubles and production delays. Jungle Cruise was no exception; as a VFX-heavy film, post-production editing was not that simple. 14 different companies were tasked with contributing to the special effects alone, and proceeding with putting together the rest of the film while so many moving pieces are in development is no easy feat. Jungle Cruise also relies on a rich geographic aesthetic, with filming locations in both Atlanta, Georgia and on the island of Kaua’i, Hawaii.
In an interview with Post, head editor Joel Negron explained how some of the scenes were extremely difficult and time-consuming to coordinate and edit in post-production in order for the story to look good and make sense. The treehouse village scene, for example, took weeks to film by itself.
It was shot with the 1st and a 2nd unit, and it was shot over the course of weeks rather than days…not only is the set layered, because you are in a tree house, but the geography, if it’s not edited properly, would be super difficult to follow – Joel Negron
Once filming finally wrapped, it was time to wrestle with the official premier and release dates. Jungle Cruise’s initial release date was set for October 2019, then it was pushed back to a more prime date in July 2020. October was already chock-full of highly anticipated releases, including The Joker and A24’s horror filmThe Lighthouse, starring Robert Pattinson and Willem Dafoe. Additionally, the film’s swashbuckling story and affiliation with Disney primed it to be a summer blockbuster, so the July release date was a much better plan to open for a wider audience. Unfortunately, the pandemic broke out in 2020 and forced global closures of movie theaters, causing producers to make the difficult call of pushing back Jungle Cruise’s release another year.
As transcribed in this Cinemablend article, Johnson took to his Instagram in early April 2020 to discuss how the decision was made to push back the release date amid COVID-19 lockdowns. He pointed out that not only did they consider the significance of stalling a Jungle Cruise release until Disney parks and cruises were once again fully operational, but “more importantly than that, it was very important that everyone had an emotional confidence, not only here in the States but also around the world. That emotional confidence allows us to get our kids back to school. It allows us to get back to work, feeling good about that. Our Disney employees, our Disney team members to get back to work and spread that joy and happiness.”
Why Jungle Cruise Underwhelmed Audiences
Domestic box offices hit a 40-year low in total revenues due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
The premiere of Jungle Cruise, which took place at Disneyland, featured many COVID precautions — including proof of vaccination and a negative PCR test — and it was held entirely outdoors.
The box office totals worldwide squeaked barely $20 million over the initial budget of $200 million, a disappointing profit for a film that took so long to produce.
Unfortunately for expectant fans and despite its long journey to a final release, Jungle Cruise ended up getting mediocre ratings from audiences and critics alike. Citing bland characters and a predictable plot, viewers expressed their disappointment with what could have been the next National Treasure (2004). Despite its star cast, big budget effects, and promising plot, Jungle Cruise ends up being just…boring. For a PG-13 Disney action-adventure movie and thus in the same league as the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise, it is underwhelming and lackluster.
In true Dwayne Johnson fashion, he brings his much-needed punch of comedic timing and dad jokes to the otherwise ho-hum script. His incessant puns, which pay homage to the cheesy dialogue of skippers on the Jungle Cruise ride, are a welcome relief from the rest of the script, which starts out interesting enough but ends up feeling quite dull.
The negative impact of global theater closures due to COVID also played a large part in the failure of the film. Indeed, Jungle Cruise was not the only highly-anticipated Disney film to see unexpected delays and poor ratings due to the pandemic. Black Widow, originally set to premiere on November 6, 2020, was pushed back twice for a final release on May 7, 2021. Another Disney blockbuster-to-be to see a series of delays was Eternals (2021), which saw a measly turnout at the box office and is now considered one of Marvel’s biggest flops.