Dwayne Johnson discusses the possibility of reuniting with Emily Blunt for Jungle Cruise 2. The Black Adam star teamed up with Oscar-nominee Blunt in director Jaume Collet-Serra's 2021 fantasy adventure movie, where he played a riverboat captain who takes a scientist and her brother along the Amazon River in search of the Tree of Life. Jungle Cruise, which was released amid a struggling box office around the COVID-19 pandemic, was a modest success, and a month after its debut, a sequel was announced to be in development. However, there have been few updates since.
In an exclusive interview with Variety at the 2024 Oscars, Johnson discussed his impending reunion with Blunt in the upcoming Benny Safdie MMA drama The Smashing Machine. He spoke in glowing terms about his co-star, stating, 'It’s much different than what we did with ‘Jungle Cruise,’ but I got to tell you there is no greater partner in our industry than Emily who I would want to have to rip this thing open.' He then dropped an update about the possibility of Jungle Cruise 2 being made. Read the former WWE superstar's full comments below:
Possibly. Down the line, yeah, I’d wanna do it. Maybe, we’ll see.
Jungle Cruise is one of Johnson's best-rated movies, and it is entirely possible there would be an appetite for a sequel, especially on the Disney+ streaming platform where the original found popularity. The star power of Blunt and Johnson, along with the enduring appeal of adventure and quest stories, means that there is plenty of opportunity for new stories in a follow-up movie. Indeed, with the Indiana Jones franchise coming to a close, there is going to be a gap in the market for action-adventure movies, and there is every chance Jungle Cruise could successfully fill it.
Disney will be keen to return to successful family-friendly fare after a year or so of box office disappointments, and Jungle Cruise already has an audience, so it could be an easy project to greenlight. It will depend on the availability of both Johnson and Blunt, who each have packed schedules and are in high demand for multiple projects these days. Still, the chemistry between the pair, as well as their strong friendship, suggests this is likely to be a sequel they would jump at the chance to appear in.
Jungle Cruise 2 would mark another franchise for Johnson and could even develop into a trilogy of successful movies. Producer Beau Flynn and director Collet-Serra are also expected to return for any follow-up that might be made, although it is unclear as to when production might begin. Jungle Cruise 2 would be the third collaboration between Johnson and Blunt, and both of the leads would need to have the availability, inclination, and desire to bring their characters to life on the big screen once again.
Jungle Cruise is available to stream exclusively on Disney+
Jungle Cruise 2 is the sequel to the Disney movie Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt as Frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton, respectively. The Rock confirmed the development of a second movie as soon as the first was released.
