Disney's upcoming Jungle Cruise movie can finally give Dwayne Johnson the opportunity to headline his own major franchise. Based on the riverboat attraction at several Disney Parks, Jungle Cruise is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and stars Johnson along with Emily Blunt, Edgar Ramirez, Jack Whitehall, Jesse Plemons, and Paul Giamatti. This will mark the fifth major film based on a popular Disney ride.
The plans for a Jungle Cruise movie first came into development in the mid-2000s. For a brief time, Toy Story's Tom Hanks and Tim Allen were set to star in the project. In 2015, it went into development and Johnson joined the cast in a lead role. Johnson, who is also serving as a producer on Jungle Cruise, first started his film career in 2001 and has since appeared in big franchises like Fast & Furious and Jumanji, as well as many one-offs. Prior to his acting career, Johnson spent years as a professional wrestler under his alias, The Rock.
Even though Johnson has been involved with big-budget franchises with box office success, they weren't necessarily his movies. The actor was a prominent name to join The Fast Saga starting with Fast Five, but he wasn't a headlining name like Vin Diesel, the true driving force behind the film series. Johnson's character did acquire a spinoff with Jason Statham but Hobbs & Shaw but it still served as a branch off of an already established title. The same can be said for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and the recent sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level. Both only existed because of the original starring Robin Williams. He also joined G.I. Joe after the first film. None of Johnson's other solo-led films spawned sequels or franchises but Jungle Cruise could potentially change that.
Disney is putting a lot of faith in Jungle Cruise with the hope that it becomes the next successful franchise based on a beloved attraction ride similar to the case with Pirates of the Caribbean. The Pirates of the Caribbean series launched in 2001 and has since spawned four sequels with another on the way. Disney is betting that Johnson will lead a Jungle Cruise franchise in the same way that Johnny Depp propelled Pirates. Since Johnson is portraying the riverboat captain, there's potential to develop numerous storylines following his journey during the early 20th century whether it's with Blunt or another cast of characters.
Of course, if Jungle Cruise doesn't reach its potential, Johnson also has another shot as a franchise-worthy star in 2021's Black Adam. The actor is set to portray the titular DC Comics character. Though it's likely the film could garner a few sequels, it's still apart of a larger franchise in the DCEU. So if Johnson wants to find a project that he can help grow, Jungle Cruise might be the best avenue. Franchise or not, Johnson will surely find no shortage of acting opportunities in the coming years.
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