Dwayne Johnson Lands Starring Role In Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ Movie


Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson is reportedly on board to star in Disney’s Jungle Cruise, which will be loosely based on the popular ride in the Disney theme parks. Will the latest ride-to-movie project work out as well as Pirates of the Caribbean? It’s still too early to speculate, except to say it might get lost in Disney’s expanding portfolio of theme park-based movies.

Variety first released the news about the Rock’s new job, but it was soon confirmed by Johnson himself on Twitter.

Dwayne later added his admiration for Johnny Depp’s work on Pirates of the Caribbean.

Dwayne Johnson’s involvement will likely reinvigorate interest in the project, which has been in the early phases of development since 2004, according to Yahoo News.

Otherwise, details on the film are still sparse.

According to the Wrap, it’s expected to be a period piece, even though earlier incarnations gave it a modern setting. John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, who wrote and directed the Will Smith crime drama Focus, are set to write the script.

John Davis and John Fox will produce. There is still no director, and aside from the Fast and Furious star, the cast appears to be open (although Tim Allen and Tom Hanks were both attached to be in the film at one time or another).

The Jungle Cruise role comes after Johnson played one of the leading voices in the upcoming Disney movie Moana, scheduled to debut in November, 2016.

Disney has had a mixed record when it comes to movies based on the Disneyland theme park. Eddie Murphy starred in the unsuccessful film Haunted Mansion, loosely based on the ride with the same name. Likewise, Disney’s recent Tomorrowland movie was labeled a flop by the Guardian and a number of other critics.

Nevertheless, Pirates of the Caribbean was a stunning success that launched a franchise and a new enthusiasm for exploring the parks for inspiration.

Not only is the company making Jungle Cruise, it’s taking on another Haunted Mansion, this time starring Ryan Gosling.

Jungle Cruise still has no release date, but Dwayne Johnson has plenty of projects in the meantime, including the movie Central Intelligence and a comedy version of Baywatch.

[Image Credit: Getty Images]

Share this article: Dwayne Johnson Lands Starring Role In Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ Movie
More from Inquisitr