Back in the early 2000s, the success of Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl forced Disney to find ways to bring their favorite theme park attractions to the big screen, resulting in films like The Haunted Mansion, The Country Bears, and most recently, Tomorrowland. Now, Dwayne Johnson (Furious 7) is set to star in the Mouse House’s latest attraction adaptation or attract-daptation, Jungle Cruise, according to The Hollywood Reporter.
Disney has reportedly been trying to develop the movie since 2004, after Black Pearl’s release, with Tom Hanks (Inferno) and Tim Allen (The Shaggy Dog) each attached at one point. Bringing Johnson to the project puts it back on track.
Johnson has recently starred in a number of successful movies including Furious 7, G.I. Joe: Retaliation, and San Andreas. He’s also worked on a number of Disney films, including The Game Plan, Race to Witch Mountain, and has lent his voice to the upcoming Moana. The actor has a number of projects in the works, including two Journey to the Center of the Earth sequels, a Big Trouble in Little China remake, and an adaptation of classic video game Rampage.
No plot details have been released but John Requa and Glenn Ficarra (Focus) are writing the script for Jungle Cruise. No director has been selected at this time. We’ll have more on the project as it develops.