“Jungle Cruise” Premiere Aims To Capture The Aura Of Disneyland’s Debut

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Just past the mechanical swim element pool on Disneyland’s famous Jungle Cruise ride, the boat’s skipper turned to guests at the movie premiere after-party “The Jungle Cruise” to try out a new joke. “Our new character,” said the Disneyland staff member – a cast member in park jargon – pointing to a stone wall, “the Rock”.

While the opening day attraction at Disneyland recently underwent a slew of changes to remove racist portrayals of Indigenous peoples, who were often portrayed as tourist attractions, attackers, or cannibals – tribal caricatures crafted through a Colonialist lens – any nod at the July 30 release of “The Jungle Cruise” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are of the hidden variety called Easter Egg

Of course, if the film is successful and spawns a franchise, that could change, just as Pirates of the Caribbean next door incorporated Johnny Depp’s Captain Jack Sparrow.

But one day at a time, and after a year of delay due to COVID-19, the movie “The Jungle Cruise” finally had its big release party, with Johnson and Blunt taking a jaunt on the Jungle Cruise and saying hello to them. fans outside the Adventureland attraction.

Disneyland visitors scream with excitement as Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt exit the Jungle Cruise.

The original ride as envisioned by Walt Disney had a less humorous tone than today’s attraction. Early influences included Disney’s own nature documentaries like the 1951 film “The African Queen”, which is also a clear influence on the film “The Jungle Cruise”, right down to the Humphrey-style scarf and hat. Bogart worn by Johnson.

But today’s movie “The Jungle Cruise” adds more mystery and mysticism to the lore of attraction.

Much of the film centers around characters played by Johnson and Blunt – Frank Wolff and Lily Houghton, respectively – on a quest, full of slight bickering and puns, to find a magical tree with healing powers. .

So it made sense that the film’s premiere would be split between Fantasyland, where the film was screened in a theater near It’s a Small World, and Adventureland and New Orleans Square. The latter was the site of a brief after-party where guests were treated to cotton candy and churros and were able to ride on attractions such as the Jungle Cruise and Indiana Jones Adventure.

“We felt we could nuance the tone, where the magic wouldn’t trump the relationships with our main characters,” said Dany Garcia, producer of the film and one of Johnson’s business partners, of the way “The Jungle Cruise” aims to balance nostalgia, forest realism and mysticism.

A boat that is used for the Disney's Jungle Cruise ride.

Blunt said being in the park reminded him of how much the ride helped shape the feel of the film.

“The whole experience of making the film has been the most uplifting of my career,” she said.

“I think because the spirit was so happy,” she adds. “That’s what we wanted to represent about the ride, that joy and that nostalgia, that goes straight to you. The idea of being at Disneyland, the fact that we do it in that setting, is something really piercing, really beautiful.

A participant's jungle print dress is seen on the red carpet.

Johnson at many times throughout the night referred to the original 1955 attraction as well as the site of the premiere. Before the film started, Johnson took a moment to devote himself to the Patriarch of the Park, who died in 1966.

“The jungle cruise was his baby,” Johnson said, before speaking directly to Walt and saying he hoped he would be proud of the film.

The Times will have more on the film, including a review, this week.