News, Analysis and Reviews of the Disney Entertainment Business
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In 1951, John Huston directed an action adventure film starring Humphrey Bogart and Katherine Hepburn about a mismatched duo who clash as they take a creaky old boat up an exotic river while fending off German foes.
The African Queen was a smash hit, won the Oscar for Bogart as Best Actor, and was one of Walt Disney’s favorite movies.
When Walt was designing Disneyland in 1954, a river cruise for Adventureland was one of the top items on his list.
The look of the boats and even (slightly) the skippers' uniforms borrowed heavily from this movie and its World War I era setting.
Over the years, the attraction took on a more comic tone, with sight gags on the land and in the water and a string of puns from the skippers, but the African Queen motif still persisted even as another layer of storytelling, inspired by Indiana Jones, was added in the 1980s.
The 2021 Jungle Cruise movie is an homage to its seventy year old predecessor, and the attraction has almost come full circle with the newest updates, which is fitting.
Kungaloosh, Adventurers! Have we got some news for you today!
I’m sure you’ve all been on the Jungle Cruise when one of your fellow travelers was kindly sharing the punchlines to the Skipper’s jokes before the Skipper got there. As one of Disney’s classic Opening Day attractions on both coasts, and one of the parks’ most beloved attractions, the Jungle Cruise has spawned a legion of devoted fans. They have memorized the script, and know exactly when they will be stunned by the appearance of “the BACKSIDE of WATER!”
Today, Disney has a surprise for all the wanna-be Skippers in the audience. The Jungle Cruise will be getting some updates, as well as enhanced storylines. As an added perk, the changes will have the input of the Skippers themselves during the process. While there will be new scenes along the way, the quips and their Skippers will still be guiding visitors along.
In today’s blog, they’ve also posted a “transmission” from Imagineer and former Jungle Cruise skipper Kevin Lively, who shares a few of the details guests can expect to see during the refurb. His remarks are followed by reactions from some current Skippers who got a sneak peek at the upcoming changes.
In his message to viewers, Lively explains, “As part of this story update, we’ll get to follow a skipper and his passengers as their journey goes awry. That’s right, for the first time ever, the skipper role will not only be that of a live, experienced and witty guide, but also represented by a show figure within the attraction itself.”
The changes to the show are expected to take place later this year, and will be reflected at both Disney World and Disneyland California. Long time Disney guests who remember the boats Mekong Maiden and Kwango Kate will see these defunct vessels reappear in new show scenes.
The much-loved Jungle Cruise is one of those attractions whose devotion has generated a Christmas version – the Jingle Cruise – and also birthed its own restaurant filled with off-duty Skippers who bring their special brand of cornball humor to the dining establishment. (See our dining review here.)
The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen is a really big name for an off-shoot of the puns and backstories that populate the Jungle Cruise, and was opened by Alberta Falls, the granddaughter of famed Jungle Cruise persona, Dr. Albert…Falls. But it is so much more for Disney fans in the know, because, as is the case with the Jungle Cruise itself, there are a multitude of tie-ins to the original Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island, founded by Merriweather Adam Pleasure. The secret meeting room at the Skipper Canteen is known as the S.E.A. Room—the meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers. Even the bookcase in the Skipper Canteen is filled with little nods to Disney’s history, the Jungle Cruise, and the Adventurers Club backstory. (Sadly, the Adventurers Club closed in 2008, but its mythos lives on in the hearts of its fans, and in Disney lore.) The live-action Jungle Cruise movie starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson is also due out this coming summer. (Hmmm, could that be when the changes will debut?)
As a Jungle Cruise fan, I’m excited to see what the new storyline will bring. The Disney Imagineers who are writing the script are no slouches when it comes to hiding Easter Eggs in their storylines and attractions, and Jungle Cruise will hopefully continue to enchant us with its off-beat and witty humor.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
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We were driving home past our local movie theater last night, having been to one of the pop-up drive-in movies that have started filling the landscape near us, and started to wonder: Are the regular theaters ever really going to reopen?
Don’t get me wrong. The pop-up drive-ins are a novelty, and a welcome diversion in our neighborhood, where the COVID-19 infection rates have finally declined. After nearly four months of being in lock-down in our own houses, leaving only for groceries or pharmacy, we are easily amused these days, even spending $25 to drive up to a 50-foot screen to watch a movie THAT WE ALREADY OWN AT HOME from our car. Suddenly, the privilege of eating cooled down microwave popcorn and sweating in the front seat of our own vehicle seems like great fun.
So, when is the current projected reopening for local theaters? That all depends. With COVID-19 rates skyrocketing in some areas, theater owners are hesitant to give a projected date to bring up the curtains at their complexes. Opening dates seem to be a bit of a moving target these days, with several chains changing their debuts a number of times already.
One of the theater chains modifying their reopening dates is AMC, which was originally set to begin phased, limited attendance reopenings July 15, then amended to July 30th. But according to Deadline, AMC has now pushed back their viewings to mid-to-late August. (A third of all AMC cinemas in Europe and the Middle East are already open.) Cineplex, another of the four biggest movie chains in the U.S. and Canada, began reopening some theaters in Canada, while over on the Regal website, they offer “Announcement of New Reopening Date Coming Soon.” On June 30th, Cinemark updated its phased reopening timeline to July 24, but has already opened four theaters in Texas and one at Universal Citywalk prior to that date.
Much to the frustration of chain owners, the timing of reopening is, in many respects, out of their control. Governors with phased re-openings, studios with changing film release dates, and a wary public that is skeptical of donning masks to sit through a newly released film have made it difficult to justify opening their doors. Profit margins for theater owners are notoriously thin to start out with, with most theaters making their money on packing the house for blockbusters and selling supersized soft drinks and overpriced popcorn. Opening to low capacity crowds might be just as financially devastating as not opening for the time being.
Among the anticipated tentpole movies that were thought to be kicking off cinema’s return were Disney’s live-action Mulan, whose date has been pushed back a handful of times already, and which currently has an anticipated August 21st date. Black Widow, one of Disney’s Marvel creations and a prequel to Avengers: Endgame, has been moved to November 6 from its original May 2020 release date. Christopher Nolan’s/Warner Brothers Tenet, expected to be a big box office draw, has been pushed back as well, and according to Deadline, will not have a single day release, but rather will open in stages, opening first in theaters already functioning overseas, and then move to theaters in states that are “open” and cleared for guests to attend movies.
The Personal History of David Copperfield (directed by Armando Iannucci, with Dev Patel, Tilda Swinton and Hugh Laurie), a Disney Searchlight Pictures film, has already opened in the U.K. to great reviews, and was set to open in the U.S. in May 2020, but has been pushed to August 14th. The New Mutants, an offering in the X-Men franchise, directed by Josh Boone under 20th Century Studios, was due out in April 2020, but has been set now for August 28th. Ralph Fiennes’ The King’s Man, also a Disney 20th Century Studios film and part of the Kingsman franchise, kicks off September 18. And in perhaps the biggest push back, Jungle Cruise, loosely based on the Disney theme park ride and starring Emily Blunt and Dwayne Johnson, was moved from Summer 2020 to July 30, 2021 – as in Summer 2021- in the reshuffles. Perchance it can compete with Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3, originally rumored to release in 2020, but now listed as a “TBD” date.
For now, maybe we should consider all of the grand opening dates tentative at best.
As for us, I believe Raiders of the Lost Ark is up next for pop-up drive-in viewing.
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Beth Keating is a regular contributor to DisneyBizJournal.
With movie theaters closed due to the coronavirus outbreak, The Walt Disney Studios has announced an updated movie release schedule.
Some films have been delayed for a few months, others being pushed back by a year, such as Jungle Cruise and the untitled Indiana Jones movie.
Also, one film – Artemis Fowl – will premiere on Disney+ rather than in theaters. Artemis Fowl is directed by Kenneth Branagh, and the cast features newcomer Ferdia Shaw in the title role, along with Lara McDonnell, Josh Gad, Tamara Smart, Nonso Anozie, Josh McGuire, Nikesh Patel, Adrian Scarborough, Colin Farrell and Judi Dench. A date has not yet been announced as to when the movie will arrive on Disney+.
Disney’s statement highlighted the following: “Disney’s Mulan is now slated to open on July 24, 2020, with Disney’s Jungle Cruise moving to July 30, 2021; while Marvel Studios’ Black Widow will arrive in theaters on November 6, 2020, with The Eternals moving to February 12, 2021.”
Here’s the updated slate of Disney films for the rest of 2020 through 2022:
2020
Soul (Disney and Pixar)—June 19, 2020
Mulan (Disney)—July 24, 2020
Empty Man (20th Century Studios)—August 7, 2020
The One and Only Ivan (Disney)—August 14, 2020
The Beatles: Get Back (Disney)—September 4, 2020
The King’s Man (20th Century Studios)—September 18, 2020
Death on the Nile (20th Century Studios)—October 9, 2020
The French Dispatch (Searchlight Pictures)—October 16, 2020
Everybody’s Talking About Jamie (20th Century Studios)—October 23, 2020
Black Widow (Marvel Studios)—November 6, 2020
Deep Water (20th Century Studios)—November 13, 2020
Raya and the Last Dragon (Walt Disney Animation Studios)—November 25, 2020
Free Guy (20th Century Studios)—December 11, 2020
West Side Story (20th Century Studios)—December 18, 2020
The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—December 25, 2020 (limited)
2021
The Last Duel (20th Century Studios)—January 8, 2021 (Wide)
The Eternals (Marvel Studios)—February 12, 2021
Ron’s Gone Wrong (20th Century Studios)—February 26, 2021
Untitled Disney Live Action—March 12, 2021
Bob’s Burgers (20th Century Studios)—April 9, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—April 23, 2021
Shang Chi and the Legend of the Ten Rings (Marvel Studios)—May 7, 2021
Cruella (Disney)—May 28, 2021
Untitled Pixar Animation—June 18, 2021
Jungle Cruise (Disney)—July 30, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—August 13, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—September 10, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—October 1, 2021
Hamilton (Disney)—October 15, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—October 22, 2021
Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness (Marvel Studios)—November 5, 2021
Untitled Disney Live Action—November 19, 2021
Untitled Disney Animation—November 24, 2021
Untitled 20th Century—December 3, 2021
AVATAR 2 (20th Century Studios)—December 17, 2021
2022
Untitled 20th Century—January 7, 2022
Nimona (20th Century Studios)—January 14, 2022
Thor: Love and Thunder (Marvel Studios)—February 18, 2022
Disney has released two trailers this week, and count me tantalized.
Black Widow is a spy thriller in the Marvel Cinematic Universe opening on May 1st. The trailer dropped on March 9th. Scarlett Johansson reprises her role as Natasha Romanoff, aka Black Widow. And even given Natasha’s ending in Avengers: Endgame, Disney refers to this movie as “the first film in Phase Four of the Marvel Cinematic Universe.”
Disney’s description includes:
In the film, Natasha Romanoff aka Black Widow confronts the darker parts of her ledger when a dangerous conspiracy with ties to her past arises. Pursued by a force that will stop at nothing to bring her down, Natasha must deal with her history as a spy and the broken relationships left in her wake long before she became an Avenger.
Today, March 10th, Disney debuted a new trailer for Jungle Cruise, starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt. Disney calls this “a rollicking thrill ride down the Amazon with wisecracking skipper Frank Wolff and intrepid researcher Dr. Lily Houghton.” And at least based on this trailer, who am I to disagree? The movie opens on July 24th.
The Disney description goes on:
Lily travels from London, England to the Amazon jungle and enlists Frank’s questionable services to guide her downriver on La Quila—his ramshackle-but-charming boat. Lily is determined to uncover an ancient tree with unparalleled healing abilities—possessing the power to change the future of medicine. Thrust on this epic quest together, the unlikely duo encounters innumerable dangers and supernatural forces, all lurking in the deceptive beauty of the lush rainforest. But as the secrets of the lost tree unfold, the stakes reach even higher for Lily and Frank and their fate—and mankind’s—hangs in the balance.
Based on the trailers, descriptions, and experience, these look like a heck of a lot of fun for the upcoming summer movie season. As for the box office numbers, who knows at this point – especially with the coronavirus situation still to play out?
Oh, sure, the Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. knows how to do a Jungle Cruise, but do they know how to run a restaurant? The answer is: Yes, definitely!
It turns out that Alberta Falls, granddaughter of Dr. Albert Falls, who started the Jungle Cruise Company in 1911, was wise in shifting the company’s focus away from moving cargo up and down rivers to offering guided tours to visitors. That effort was so successful that Alberta decided on an additional service. As she puts it, “I decided to open our home offices to hungry travelers. The crew’s mess hall, our old family room and even my grandfather’s old secret meeting room are now open to our diners!”
By the way, that secret meeting room was known as the S.E.A. Room—the meeting place for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers! (A wink-and-a-nod to those intrepid explorers who long for the days of the now-defunct Adventurers Club at Pleasure Island.)
Well, recently, we not only took a journey on the Jungle Cruise, but decided to have dinner at The Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. Skipper Canteen in the Magic Kingdom. It was not on our original itinerary; the somewhat daring menu for a theme park initially made us hesitate to book an ADR (advanced dining reservation). Recommendations from previous travelers encouraged us to take the leap, however, and we were glad we did.
In the end, three things matter when it comes to a restaurant – service, ambience and, of course, the food. Skipper Canteen scores big on all three.
Our skipper-turned-waitress was a delight. She was knowledgeable about the menu as well as our adventurous environment. For good measure, she carried over into the restaurant the unique sense of humor that visitors experience on the cruise. (Thanks for showing us your favorite “highlights,” Kim!)
The relaxed atmosphere and fascinating décor of Skipper Canteen – including the aforementioned family and meeting rooms – added enjoyment to the overall dining experience.
And as for the food, the alluring offerings on the menu made it hard to choose which to have. The food’s presentation was attractive to eyes, and the flavors ranked as a celebration for the taste buds.
I had the Sankuru Sadie's Seafood Stew – a mix of shrimp, mussels, bay scallops, octopus, and sustainable fish in a coconut sauce. It was overflowing with flavor.
One person in my party enjoyed the Trader Lamb – tender, spiced-rubbed lamb chops. That was not what she originally thought about ordering, but followed the recommendation of the waitress, and had no regrets whatsoever.
As for beverages, in response to the jungle heat and humidity of the day, I had the Schweitzer Slush, described as “Frozen Apple Juice and Passion Fruit topped with Bursting Green Apple Boba Balls, first concocted by the noted explorer and humanitarian, Dr. Albert Slush.” Kudos to Dr. Slush, it was wonderfully refreshing.
My fellow travels and I enjoyed two of the desserts – the Coconut Bar with Pineapple-Basil Compote and Vanilla Ice Cream, and the Kungaloosh! – a chocolate cake with caramelized bananas and cashew-caramel ice cream. Wow. (Incidentally, “Kungaloosh!” is the traditional greeting for members of the Adventurers Club, as well as a fondly remembered adult beverage at the Downtown Disney club ... there’s that wink-and-a-nod again!)
Yes, Alberta and her team at Jungle Navigation Co. Ltd. do well at running a Jungle Cruise, but they truly excel at providing delicious eats to travelers at the Skipper Canteen.
Ray Keating is the editor, publisher and economist for DisneyBizJournal.com, and author of the Pastor Stephen Grant novels. He can be contacted at raykeating@keatingreports.com.
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