Dwayne Johnson Set to Take a ‘Jungle Cruise’ For Disney

Good ol’ Franchise Viagra is at it again.

THR reports Dwayne Johnson is set to take charge of a long-in-development property over at Disney, when he stars in a movie version of the classic Jungle Cruise Disneyland attraction. A previous iteration of the movie that never got off the ground would have starred Toy Story buds Tom Hanks and Tim Allen, and would have been set in modern times. Per The Hollywood Reporter, the Rock’s Jungle Cruise would take the film...

... back to its’ period roots with even the intent to harken Cruise to movies such as The African Queen, the 1951 classic starring Humphrey Bogart and Katharine Hepburn adventure movie that was one of the original inspirations for the ride.

I know the default mode for any news story about Disney turning a ride into a movie is snark. And the Jungle Cruise is admittedly not one of Disney’s most dynamic attractions. Though its animatronics were cutting edge when the ride first opened more than half a century ago, it hasn’t been significantly updated in a while and now looks a wee bit hokey. But the idea of the Rock in an old-fashioned romantic adventure movie a la The African Queen, bickering with some feisty partner in jungle cruising? That sounds totally fantastic.

Another promising sign: The screenplay for Johnson’s Jungle Cruise is being written by Focus and Crazy, Stupid, Love filmmakers John Requa and Glenn Ficarra, though at this point the duo is not attached to direct. With the right screenplay and the right director, this one could be a winner. The Jungle Cruise ride itself still could use an update though.

(Oh hey look, Disney just announced their building a whole new complex next to it! What are the odds?)