Jungle Cruise: Dwayne Johnson Disney film to hit theaters & Disney+ in July

Last Updated on August 2, 2021

In a bit of a surprising move, Disney's Jungle Cruise, which stars Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, will debut in theaters and Disney+ Premier on July 30, 2021. Dwayne Johnson confirmed the news on his Instagram page which can be viewed below!

According to "Deadline", Disney presented the filmmaking team behind the film with various options for releasing the movie based on the popular Disney theme park attraction. The ultimate decision to go with the theater and streaming release hybrid came down to the continued closure of offshore markets such as Europe and Brazil due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Europe is reopening as soon as next month but Disney didn't want to risk going solely theatrical, especially since provinces in Canada also remain closed and likely won't see their theaters open until mid-June. The overseas markets would've been killer for Jungle Cruise due to its name recognition in relation to the ride and the international appeal of Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Without those markets fully in play, Disney decided to continue experimenting with their theatrical and Disney+ Premier release pattern.

Jungle Crusie is the fourth Disney film to use this release strategy, although this is still a temporary release solution according to the Mouse House. Raya and the Last Dragon was the last film to go this route and it will be followed by Cruella at the end of this month and Marvel's Black Widow on July 9, 2021. When Raya and the Last Dragon made its debut earlier this year, No. 3 exhibitor Cinemark refused to play the film over its opening weekend due to stiff terms from Disney. With some time to work out new terms, Cinemark has come around and made a deal with Disney, among other studios, to begin playing films that also debut on streaming simultaneously. Despite the fact that Raya and the Last Dragon was released weeks ago, Cinemark is now playing the film and booking Black Widow for July.

Jungle Cruise is directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and is set during the early 20th century. In the film, a riverboat captain named Frank (Johnson) takes a scientist (Blunt) and her brother (Jack Whitehall) on a mission into a jungle to find the Tree of Life which is believed to possess healing powers. All the while the trio must fight against dangerous wild animals and a competing German expedition. The film also stars Edgar Ramirez, Jesse Plemons, Paul Giamatti, Andy Nyman, Quim Gutierrez, Dani Rovira, Veronica Falcon, and Simone Lockhart. Prior to its new release date, Jungle Cruise was expected to hit screens on October 11, 2019, before being moved to July 24, 2020. The COVID-19 pandemic ultimately delayed the film until its current release date of July 30, 2021.

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