The Hollywood Reporter has learned that Walt Disney Studios is in the very early stages of developing a sequel to recent fantasy adventure film Jungle Cruise, with both Dwayne Johnson (Black Adam; Hobbs & Shaw) and Emily Blunt (Edge of Tomorrow; A Quiet Place) set to reprise their roles as skipper Frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton, respectively.
Director Jaume Collet-Serra, who recently wrapped Johnson's DC Comics superhero vehicle Black Adam, is also expected to return to helm the follow-up along with Academy Award-nominated screenwriter Michael Green (Logan; Blade Runner 2049), who co-wrote the first installment.
Jungle Cruise recently crossed $100 million at the domestic box office, bringing its worldwide total to an estimated $187 million, and earned over $30 million on Disney+ Premier Access in its first three days of release, according to Disney. While those aren't exactly ideal numbers for a $200 million production in normal times, it looks like the House of Mouse was happy enough with its pandemic-era release - as well as the positive audience reception - to move forward with a sequel.
It's unclear when production could potentially get rolling, but next year isn't necessarily an unrealistic possibility if Disney chooses to fast-track the project, as Johnson currently has a rare opening in his schedule with multiple projects in various stages of development. Meanwhile, Blunt is in the midst of filming the Amazon/BBC miniseries The English, but doesn't have any films currently lined up, so she'll likely have some availability next summer as well.