Dwayne Johnson shared a promotional video on Twitter Thursday afternoon for Jaume Collet-Serra’s Jungle Cruise, which shows the film’s gorgeous, hand-built set.
Releasing in October 2019, the Disney film began production last week, and, according to the tweet, Jungle Cruise features “one of the most awe inspiring & massive sets ever built from scratch.”
“*watch ’til the end and see one of the most awe inspiring & massive sets ever built from scratch.
Walt Disney, this one’s for you buddy! 🤙🏾💫” (via @TheRock) pic.twitter.com/bTPXWMrfjr— Jungle Cruise (@JungleCruise) August 9, 2018
In Disney parks, The Jungle Cruise is a story-based outdoor boat ride guided by a park staff member playing a skipper who takes parkgoers on a trip through a faux-African jungle. Along the way, riders see animatronic animals and experience a landslide of horrible puns from their skipper, a legacy which Johnson will have no difficulty living up to.
In the social media video, Johnson, who was first announced to star in the film last April, gives a very brief background on the original 1955 Disneyland ride. He tells the story of Walt Disney’s dream and his drive to create it, going so far as to be the very first skipper on the ride.
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After his history lesson, the camera pulls out to give viewers a first look at the hugely impressive set, which at first looks like it’s pulled straight out of the ride. Some old wooden stairs and exotic plants surround him, until suddenly a gorgeous riverside mansion appears in the frame. A tiny boat sits on the dock, which looks very similar to the vehicles which adorn the ride in Disney parks across the globe.
Aside from a romance teased in last week’s first look at Johnson and co-star Emily Blunt, plot details for the film are scant, so there are still no clues as to how all of these details will come in to play. The ride mostly focuses on the animatronics and the skipper’s terrific (or horrible, depending on how lucky you are) jokes, but it does feature a subplot involving poachers who receive their comeuppance.
Though it’s a short look, the gorgeous set is sure to inspire some confidence in the film. It does look somewhat like Johnson’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle spiritual successor, but the chemistry between the leads and basic building blocks of source material provide some hope, not to mention the star’s infectious passion for the project.
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“It is with great honor and reverence that I get an opportunity to play this role and we can show you guys this story,” said Johnson. “Walt, this one is for you, buddy.”
Though audiences will have to wait over a year for Jungle Cruise to release, you can catch Johnson returning in HBO’s Ballers, which premieres its fourth season this Sunday night.