Disney\u2019s Jungle Cruise , which is out on Friday, July 30 in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access, takes its inspiration from the Walt Disney World \u2026<\/b>
\nDisney\u2019s Jungle Cruise, which is out on Friday, July 30 in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access, takes its inspiration from the Walt Disney World ride of the same name, which has long been a fixture at the theme park. But the story of a skipper named Frank Wolff, played by Dwayne Johnson, who travels downstream with a British researcher, Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt), definitely takes some other cues from the classic John Huston film The African Queen\u2026 Which has led many fans to wonder: is Jungle Cruise a remake of The African Queen? In a word: no. But it does admit to drawing heavily from the classic film which starred Katharine Hepburn and Humphrey Bogart. The original Disneyland Jungle Cruise ride, which opened in 1955, was designed by Walt Disney and Imagineer Harper Goff, who said he was inspired by the 1951 film, especially as they created the animals that the boat would travel past. \u201cHere\u2019s a little context for you,\u201d Johnson told Radio Times. \u201cJungle Cruise was Walt Disney\u2019s baby. The ride has been around since 1955, which is when Disneyland first opened. It was Walt\u2019s way of bringing a safari to people in the States; people who couldn\u2019t necessarily go overseas or travel. I\u2019ve been on the ride many times and it\u2019s an incredible honor to bring it to life in this way. We also pulled inspiration from movies like The African Queen, Romancing the Stone and the Indiana Jones series.\u201d In addition to the basic plot that sees a grizzled skipper transporting a slightly more refined lady downriver, both films are set during World War I. But while The African Queen took place (and was filmed) in Africa, Jungle Cruise is set in South America, though it was filmed in Hawaii and Atlanta. While both Blunt and Hepburn\u2019s characters have brothers who appear in the film, Jungle Cruise gives Jack Whitehall, who plays MacGregor Houghton, a much more substantial role. And in both films, our protagonists are antagonized by German forces whom they are fighting with. One major difference is that while The African Queen is based in reality, Jungle Cruise features a mystical Tree of Life that Dr. Houghton wants to find to harness its magical energy and healing powers. A glowing CGI tree in the middle of the jungle? That\u2019s certainly one thing Bogey and Hepburn never crossed paths with in their time. Where to Stream The African Queen<\/p>\n