The Making of Disney's Jungle Cruise

LIKE THE FAMED THEME PARK ATTRACTION AND BRAND-NEW FEATURE FILM that this volume examines, The Making of Disney’s Jungle Cruise takes readers on a unique and fascinating journey. It’s an odyssey through the history and legacy of one of the most original ideas ever to come out of Walt Disney’s fertile mind, first planned for the opening of his revolutionary new theme park in 1955. This book travels from the debut of what was called the Jungle River Cruise on Disneyland’s opening day, through the arrival at long last of the thrilling feature film starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt and directed by Jaume Collet-Serra.

On Disneyland’s opening day of July 17, 1955, the park’s first guests boarded authentically styled riverboats to take the first Jungle Cruises. This unique riverboat-themed attraction in Adventureland takes visitors on a short journey down expertly simulated versions of the most prominent tropical rivers of the world, including the Amazon and the Nile, to witness wild animals, exotic sights, and thrills only a handful of intrepid real-world explorers had experienced in the past. A hilarious (and “punny”) Jungle Cruise skipper narrates all the sights and action from beginning to end. This Jungle Cruise experience would ultimately be woven into three other Disney parks, where the ride was likewise an opening-day attraction—simulating comedic high-adventure cruises through rivers in the continents of South America, Africa, and Asia.

Fast-forward decades and, at long last, production on the movie commenced. The project was influenced by director Jaume Collet-Serra’s love of The African Queen, Indiana Jones films, and Romancing the Stone, among others, and built on the foundation of key elements of the theme park attraction. From the re-creation of the Amazon River to the film’s hilarious take on famous skipper puns and the reams of Easter eggs for longtime fans, the Jungle Cruise movie captures the same excitement and joy as the theme park attraction, and The Making of Disney’s Jungle Cruise details it all. Interviews about the filmmaking process include all major cast members—Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, Jack Whitehall, Paul Giamatti, and many others—along with key filmmakers who detail the art, design, cinematography, production design, costumes, hair, makeup, props, stunts, and numerous visual effects challenges involved with the production. This volume offers up an intimate story of the full journey of the Jungle Cruise concept, straight from Walt Disney’s brain in the 1950s to the big screen in 2021. So come aboard and enjoy the journey—you’re in for quite a ride!

Michael Goldman

Best suited for tablet and desktop due to the format required for the illustrations and design.