Disney's 'Jungle Cruise' Was Not Exactly Filmed in a Jungle
Published July 28 2021, 2:38 p.m. ET
Disney's latest flick, Jungle Cruise, turns its campiest theme park ride into a heartfelt adventure. Jungle Cruise stars action film staples Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson and Emily Blunt as riverboat Captain Frank and Dr. Lily Houghton who embark on a mission to find the Tree of Life. While the jungle of the film is in the Amazon, is that where Jungle Cruise was filmed? Read on for details about Disney's smash hit.
So, where was 'Jungle Cruise' filmed?
The mysterious and titular jungle of the Jungle Cruise ride isn't just one jungle, according to the ride's original narrative. Anyone who has been on the ride at Disney World or Disneyland can confirm that previously, the ride was set in a riverboat drifting through rivers of Asia, Africa, and South America. Many thought the new film was inspired by the classic The African Queen, but Jungle Cruise's jungle is set along the Amazon River of South America.
In terms of filming locations, Jungle Cruise's own Emily Blunt told Stephen Colbert that the movie was filmed in Hawaii and Atlanta. The Garden Island reported in 2018 that filming for "a Disney feature film" was taking place and released a casting call for extras who wished to work on the movie in Kauai. Specifically, the notice quotes a few eagle-eyed fans who seem to have spotted production in action.
The Garden Island writes, "Photos on social media, however, show Kapaia Reservoir heavy with activity and allegedly the set for Jungle Cruise is being built at the reservoir, which is situated above Wailua Falls." Fans of the ride will recall a beautiful waterfall as part of the scenery, and we're sure that Hawaii's natural beauty is perfectly suited for the film.
According to Deadline, additional filming took place in Atlanta's Blackhall Studios, which has also been host to many other action-packed blockbusters such as Blockers, Godzilla: King of Monsters, Jumanji: The Next Level, and Venom. The soundstages are relatively new and, as of April 2021, plan on expanding further.
Will there be a 'Jungle Cruise' sequel? Discussions at Disney are already in motion.
Disney's proclivity toward blockbuster sequels means fans are already considering the possibility of a Jungle Cruise 2, and according to The Hollywood Reporter, discussions of a sequel film are already in motion. These discussions have been based on the working chemistry between Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, which reportedly tested well with early audiences and further helped develop Jungle Cruise into the hit it is today.
In Emily and Dwayne's conversation with The Hollywood Reporter, the interviewer noted, "There is [a] discussion of a Jungle Cruise sequel, and [Dwayne] has drafted [Emily] to star in an as-yet-unannounced film project that he’s producing." However, with the coronavirus pandemic surging again, it might be too soon to know more details.
Jungle Cruise is available for streaming on Disney Plus with Premier Access and for viewing in theaters on July 30, 2021.