Ahead of Disney's earnings call this afternoon, Dwayne Johnson (Hobbs & Shaw; Red Notice) has announced today that his upcoming fantasy adventure film, Jungle Cruise, will now debut simultaneously in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access on July 30.
The film was originally slated to open in late 2019 before being moved to July of last year, and was further delayed into 2021 due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. The decision to launch it in both theaters and at home came fairly recently, as the studio and filmmaking team reassessed the current theatrical landscape and noted that many international markets - where Johnson-led films tend to perform well - will either still be closed until late in the summer or may just be in the very early stages of reopening.
Jaume Collet-Serra, who is also helming Johnson's Black Adam, directs the film, which stars Johnson and Golden Globe-winner Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow; A Quiet Place) in the lead roles with a supporting cast that includes Edgar Ramírez (American Crime Story; The Undoing), Jack Whitehall (Bad Education; Bounty Hunters), 2x Primetime Emmy-nominee Jesse Plemons (Friday Night Lights; Fargo), and Academy Award-nominee Paul Giamatti (The Amazing Spider-Man 2; Billions).
The film's plot centers around researcher Dr. Lily Houghton (Blunt), who will travel from London to the Amazon jungle. Upon arrival, she enlists the services of a wisecracking skipper named Frank Wolff (Johnson) to guide her downriver on La Quila - his ramshackle-but-charming boat.
Her goal is to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities, possibly possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Along the way, the unlikely duo will encounter innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. As the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes get increasingly higher for both Lily and Frank and their fates - as well as mankind’s - will all be left hanging in the balance.
Inspired by the famous Disneyland theme park ride, Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” is an adventure-filled, rollicking thrill-ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton. Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.