When Walt Disney Studios first conceived of Jungle Cruise, a movie based on a popular theme park ride, they certainly were envisioning a very different world than this one. The metrics by which success are measured at the movies have changed drastically, but especially under these circumstances Dwayne Johnson is extra happy to see Jungle Cruise performing well both in theaters and on Disney+ and so he's thanking fans for making the movie a hit, and possibly teasing that an official sequel announcement could be coming very soon.
In an Instagram video Dwayne Johnson apparently takes a break in the middle of his workout to thank fans for continuing to make Jungle Cruise a success, even after a few weeks. The movie has continued to find success both in theaters and on Disney+, and, is close to hitting the $100 million mark at the domestic box office.
Jungle Cruise is just over $93 million and it made $6 million at the domestic box office last weekend, so breaking the $100 million barrier before it's done isn't out the realm of possibility. The movie is just short of $175 million globally. The number is impressive considering that movie theaters are still far from being as full as they used to be, and that many people have watched the movie at home on Disney+. That also means that the total take for the movie is in excess of $175 million, but exactly what it is we don't really know.
The Rock also touts the movie as the number one family movie of the year. It's one of those distinctions that doesn't always mean a lot. It depends on what you classify as a family movie and what the competition really is. But however you run the numbers, Jungle Cruise has done well, maintaining comparatively good box office numbers even four weeks later. This is something we didn't always see even during normal movie release conditions.
Dwayne Johnson also promises that a "big surprise" for Jungle Cruise is coming up. And while he calls it a surprise he also says that thinks people probably know what it is. It's likely an official announcement that a sequel is on the way. Johnson has been open about the fact that sequel discussions have been happening, and if the numbers are looking as good to Disney as they do to him, then it's likely that a sequel will happen. Jungle Cruise has performed better than Cruella at the domestic box office, though not quite as good internationally thus far, and Cruella 2 has been officially confirmed, so it all bodes well for Jungle Cruise 2.
Jungle Cruise performed reasonably well with critics and even better among the fans who have seen the film. While it might not have reached the heights of the early Pirates of the Caribbean films, it's also clearly not The Haunted Mansion, making it a solid entry in the "movies based on theme park rides" genre.
