“Jungle Cruise,” a big-budget family adventure starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, will premiere simultaneously in theaters and on Disney Plus on July 30.
The film will be available to rent on Disney Plus Premier Access. Disney used a similar strategy with “Mulan” and “Raya and the Last Dragon” and plans to debut upcoming films such as “Black Widow” and “Cruella” in theaters and on Disney Plus Premiere Access. Pixar’s “Soul” debuted on the streaming service for free at the same time it opened in cinemas. Disney is one of several studios that have experimented with alternative distribution strategies during the height of the pandemic. Paramount and Universal have shortened the length of time their films can screen exclusively in theaters, while Warner Bros. is debuting its entire 2021 slate on HBO Max at the same time its movies open in cinemas.
A sweaty Johnson announced the release plan for “Jungle Cruise” on his social media channels, in a post-workout video.
“Now that we are coming out of COVID slowly, we’ve got to own this rebound,” he said. “We’ve got to get back out there. Live the life that we want to live. Get out in theaters, watch our movies as safe as possible. But also ‘Jungle Cruise’ is a unique experience and it gives us a unique opportunity to allow everyone around the world to watch the movie how they want to watch the movie.”
In a written message, he added, “The most important thing with our movie was to ALWAYS take care of families around the world by giving you options to watch it.”
“Jungle Cruise” is inspired by the popular theme park ride of the same name.