Dwayne Johnson is coming to Disney in a big way with Jungle Cruise, the highly anticipated adventure film based on the attraction at Disneyland and Disney World. The film has been a long time coming, as Disney first put a movie based on the Jungle Cruise ride into development in the late 2000s, spurred by the success of Pirates of the Caribbean. Johnson became attached a few years later, but as both a producer and star, he wanted to ensure they got the story and tone right before actually making the film.
The result is a swashbuckling thrill ride bolstered by a pair of dynamic performances from Johnson as a rowdy steamboat captain and Emily Blunt as a headstrong scientist. The story takes place two years into World War I and finds Blunt's scientist Dr. Lily Houghton and her reclutant assistant brother McGregor (Jack Whitehall) hastily enlisting Captain Frank "Skipper" Wolff's services to take them down the Amazon river. Lily is searching for a fabled tree that, according to myth, has supernatural healing powers and could thus change the world. But hot on Lily's trail is a dangerous German aristocrat played by Jesse Plemons.
Jungle Cruise was directed by Jaume Collet-Serra and written by Michael Green and Glenn Ficarra & John Requa, and marks Disney's most successful attraction adaptation since the first Pirates movie. Indeed, Jungle Cruise's tone is directly inspired by the fun-loving adventure of Pirates and the films in The Mummy franchise, delivering thrills, laughs, and a little romance for good measure.
But given that each new release from every major studio now has a variety of different methods of distribution, you may be wondering how to watch Jungle Cruise. Below is everything you need to know.
Is Jungle Cruise Streaming Online?
Yes, Jungle Cruise will be available to stream on Disney+ with Premier Access, meaning if you are a Disney Plus subscriber and want to watch Jungle Cruise at home, you'll need to pay a one-time fee of $29.99 to "unlock" the title early on the streaming service.
Is Jungle Cruise Playing in Movie Theaters?
Jungle Cruise is also being released wide in movie theaters across the country, although it was important to Johnson and his producers that this family friendly film be offered both in theaters and on Disney+ at the same time, so families could choose based on their comfort level.
Producer Hiram Garcia revealed during an interview that it was a tough decision, but ultimately an easy one to go with a hybrid release strategy:
"I think our main goal was how can we make sure that we deliver the movie to the fans in the best way possible and the most comfortable way possible. So we never want it to be in a situation, given the uncertainty of what's going on in the world obviously with the pandemic, of making fans see the movie one way. There's going to be a lot of people that are uncomfortable maybe going to the theater right now. So for us, it was what's going to allow us to get the movie in front of as many eyes as possible and in the most comfortable way for them to enjoy it?"
What Time Will Jungle Cruise Be Released on Disney Plus?
Jungle Cruise will be released in theaters and on Disney+ officially on July 30th, but the film will be available to stream on Disney+ with Premier Access at exactly 12am PT / 3am ET on Friday.
When Will Jungle Cruise Be Streaming for Free on Disney Plus?
Like all Disney new releases, Jungle Cruise will be available to subscribers free of charge on Disney+ at some point, but Disney has not yet revealed when that will be. If the film follows the schedule of Cruella, which was first available only via Premier Access, that movie is being made available for all Disney+ subscribers three months after it was released. So it would stand to reason that Jungle Cruise would be streaming for free on Disney+ sometime around the end of October.