Boy, they must just be completely euphoric over at Walt Disney Pictures. Obviously, the suits over there must still be high on "Pot"... or "PotC", to be more exact. That's "Pirates of the Caribbean" for the acronymically-challenged.
So thrilled are they about the massive, juggernautical, world-wide, billion-dollar success of the franchise that they've perhaps forgotten about the lessons learned from the tepid Haunted Mansion and the abysmal Country Bears, and so they've greenlit yet another movie based on a famous Disney theme park ride.
The Hollywood Reporter says that Smallville showrunners Al Gough and Miles Millar are in negotiations to write Jungle Cruise, an adventure movie and potential franchise that is being produced by David Hoberman and Todd Lieberman through their Mandeville Films label.
Hmm.... I had no hope for the Country Bears (although I must say they've done wonders with that attraction at the park... I just saw it last year at Disney World after not having seen it since 1977), but I thought the Haunted Mansion movie would have been a slam-dunk. Pirates of course exceeded ALL expectations for a movie based on a ride, so who knows? Jungle Cruise might work. The plot is being kept under wraps as of yet, but it has been revealed that the movie would take place in the 20th century... my guess during the early part of the 20th century... say, during the classic era of British jungle exploration, which is in keeping with the ride.
I'm also guessing that they are going to go with the tried-and-true formula that made Pirates so successful... rollicking adventure, good character dynamics, treasure-hunting à la Indiana Jones, and a nice dash of comedy sprinkled throughout. Let's face it, the Jungle Cruise ride itself is just average as far as an attraction goes, but it's the tour guides and their comic delivery that make or break that ride.
It's no shock that Mandeville will be behind the film, having delivered the surprise hit Eight Below for the studio (which I guess made up for their remake of The Shaggy Dog). I have hopes for Gough and Millar as well who, although they worked on Herbie Fully Loaded, they also worked on the amusing Shanghai Noon and the very clever Shanghai Knights, as well as Spider-Man 2.
