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Jungle Cruise's Big Twist (& Frank's Backstory), Explained

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WARNING: The following contains spoilers for Jungle Cruise , now available in theaters and on Disney+ Premier Access.

Disney’s new Jungle Cruise movie has as many twists and turns as the Amazon River . The plot follows Emily Blunt’s Indiana-Jones-type character, Dr. Lily Houghton, on a quest to find the legendary Tears of the Moon, which lie deep within the Amazon Jungle. The only way to get to her destination is by boat, so she hires Dwayne Johnson’s Frank Wolff to guide her upriver. What Lily doesn’t realize, however, is that both the Tears of the Moon and Frank are hiding important secrets.

The Quest for the Tears of the Moon in Jungle Cruise

In Jungle Cruise , the story of the Tears of the Moon has been passed down for centuries. According to Trader Sam's translations, a “Broken-hearted warrior climbed to the highest peak and shot his arrow into the Moon. From there, the Moon learned real pain and began to weep. Where the Tears fell grew a sacred Tree…” Legend has it that a single petal from the tree has the power to heal any ailment. That’s why Lily is searching for the Tears of the Moon, but she is not the only one to go looking. The legend inspired many people to quest after the tree’s healing powers.

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Historically, the most famous person to search for the Tears of the Moon’s healing powers was a Spanish conquistador named Don Aguirre. He wanted to find the tree to save Anna, his ailing daughter, but he never returned. History called him a failure, but the story was much deeper. Many of his men died, but some were found by the natives, who guarded the tree, and nursed back to health with the powers of the Tears of the Moon.

The Origin of the Curse in Jungle Cruise

Upon his recovery, Aguirre was thrilled to learn of how close he had come to accomplishing his goal. So, he demanded that the natives take him to the Tears of the Moon and reveal its secrets, but the chief refused because Aguirre was not worthy. Enraged, Aguirre attacked, killed the chief and burned the village. Those actions only brought torment to Aguirre, though, because with his last breaths, the chief pronounced a curse on all of the Spaniards: they could never die nor leave sight of the river again, or else the jungle would pull them back to it.

Frank explains all of this to Lily, but this is where the big twist comes. His real name is actually Francisco Lopez de Heredia, and he was on that expedition with Aguirre as the conquistador’s cartographer. He was like a brother to Aguirre, but when the conquistador attacked the natives, Francisco couldn’t stand for it. He retaliated, fought Aguirre and was stabbed in the chest. He would have died but for the chief’s curse. As a result, he survived his wound and was cursed just like the other Spaniards – never able to die or to leave sight of the river.

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Why Dwayne Johnson's Frank Wants the Tears of the Moon

Ever since the curse, Frank and Aguirre had fought whenever they saw each other – two gods unable to die, locked in eternal combat . Eventually, Frank got tired of fighting, so he found a way to trap Aguirre and his other conquistadors in a pit where they couldn’t see the river. As a result, whenever the Jungle tried to pull the Spaniards back to the river, it pulled them into the walls of the pit, where they were trapped for years on end.

After he took care of Aguirre and his men, Frank’s sole purpose in life became to find the Tears of the Moon. So, he built a boat and with a succession of Proximas, he traversed up and down the Amazon River charting its many channels. All the while, he was in search of the only thing that could break the curse that held him in place. However, after centuries of searching, he gave up and built a town, where he tried to live as normal a life as an immortal could live. That’s where he stayed, until Lily showed up with the arrowhead and sparked new hope within him.

Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, Jungle Cruise is currently in theaters or available to stream through Disney+ Premier Access.

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Frank Wolff

• 1.1 Background
• 2.1.1 Jungle Cruise
• 2.2.1 Jungle Cruise
• 5 External links
• 6 References

History [ ]

Background [ ].

Francisco Lopez de Heredia was a 16th century mixed-race Hispanic man, who came into the service of conquistador Lope de Aguirre . Frank was considered to be like a brother to Lope and was amongst a lost expedition where they would have died had they not been saved by the Puka Michuna tribe. The tribe brought them to health using the Tears of the Moon ". When Aguirre attempted to attack the tribe to steal more of the tree's tears for his daughter, the conquistadors were cursed to remain as immortals in the Amazon rainforest.

By 1916, Francisco changed his name to Frank Wolff and worked as a skipper for a private, cheap Jungle Navigation Company attraction in Porto Velho. Here, he owed money to harbormaster Nilo Nemolato who ran a more popular and successful boat company. Frank also had good relations with the Puka Michuna and their chieftain Trader Sam , though he spread myths about them being cannibalistic headhunters to profit off of their exoticism.

In 1916, Frank was approached by rogue explorer Lily Houghton and her brother MacGregor in offering safe passage through the jungles of South America in search of an ancient tree called Tears of the Moon so they can take its petals back to her laboratory and turn them into a serum that will cure terminal diseases and will also allow people to live longer.

Appearances [ ]

Jungle cruise [ ].

Frank is first seen on his ship the La Quila where he is fixing the ship's engines so the tour can continue much to one of the tourists asking him to know if he will give any more tours while another one of them asks to know if he gives refunds to which Frank explains that no refunds will be permitted after the tour. Having fixed the engines, the La Quila departs again and gets back to his duty as the skipper, giving the group a tour around the Amazon jungle while steering away from a nearby tree. Afterward, Frank continues his duty as the skipper while discussing to the tourists about what is seen during the tour giving tourists an advice about the dangers of the Amazon jungle. After passing through a fake hippo, Frank shows his favorite part during the tour which is the eighth Wonder of the World: the backside of water. Continuing the tour, Frank alerts the tourists to take cover after seeing the Headhunter Tribe shooting blow darts on the ship to which one of the tourists tell him to move faster to which Frank denies, warning him that speeding up the La Quila would damage his engine and repairing the damage on the engine would be expensive just as Frank continues a tour around the Amazon. After a tour, the La Quila departs at the docks of Porto Velho, Brazil, bidding the tourists a farewell.

Frank then approaches Nilo Nemolato who explains him to give him money to which Nilo feels dissatisfied for an insufficient amount of money. He then explains to Frank that he borrows money from him to get a new engine for the La Quila, telling him to pay him back for interest, explaining that he will keep his ship's engine for now. Nilo then warns him that if he doesn't get his money on one week, he will keep his whole boat by next week. After a conversation, Frank walks across a bar at the Hotel de Ferreira where he goes to Nilo's office without getting detected by Nemolato himself and arriving there, he finds his pet cockatoo Rosita on her perch. Lily Houghton suddenly bursts in to Nilo's office and finds Frank instead of Nilo inside his office. Lily explains that she is headed upriver to the Lágrimas de Cristal. While asking to Frank to know where the Lágrimas would be at to which he explains to her that the region is at the Amazon. Frank curiously examines Lily to know where she retrieved the map to which she explains that this map was drawn by Aguirre's cartographer, which belonged to her father who used to tell her about the Tears of the Moon when she was young. Lily then discusses with Frank to know if he can take her there to which Frank warns her about the dangers of the jungle on the tour. However, Lily then decides to set a negotiation between Frank or request another skipper for the tour.

Later at the bar at the Hotel de Ferreira, Frank is negotiating with Lily about his payment after the tour to which McGregor explains to the two that he found Mr. Nilo himself to which Lily feels upset with him that he deceived him for claiming himself to be Nilo Nemolato just as Lily talks to the real Nilo. Suddenly, a jaguar named Proxima appears in the bar where she frightens a couple of guests inside. Frank attempts to ward off the jaguar but she pounces him, causing him to land at the spot where the bug fight between the tarantula and the scorpion was taking place. Seeing the scorpion and tarantula preparing to attack Frank, he manages to avoid them while finding a nearby window. Frank tosses the steak out of the window to distract the jaguar just as the people inside the bar congratulate Frank for getting the jaguar out of the bar. Having taken care of Proxima, Lily explains that Frank that he owes her $12,000 to which Lily decides to settle the deal.

After Frank repairs the engine on his ship, he apologizes to Proxima for his harshness despite and then later arrives at the harbor to meet Lily and her brother who are on their way to board the La Quila. As McGregor brings his luggage with him, Frank deploys some of the luggage McGregor has brought with him on his journey to while deciding to keep some of them that are important for his journey while seeing Nemolato's men trying to stop Frank whom they think he is a rogue skipper to which he decides to escape with McGregor on board. Later while trying to rescue Lily, Frank arrives at the Porto Velho marketplace where he takes on some thugs while directing Lily to follow him. Lily manages to evade a group of thugs at the Porto Velho marketplace and arrive at the spot where the La Quila passes through.

While onboard the ship, Frank, Lily, and McGregor see a submarine boarded by Prince Joachim and his soldier who are on their way to the Tree of Life to which while trying to escape, Frank ties a rope on a pole where Nilo's boats are docked at where Nilo confronts Frank for trespassing the Nilo's River Adventure property to which Frank manages to starboard his ship to avoid Joachim and his soldiers who are on their way to steal the Arrowhead while Frank continues increasing the engine's speed to avoid getting hit by torpedoes fired by Prince Joachim in a plan to evade him, still passing through destroying part Nilo's property much to Nilo's fury. Frank manages to escape from Joachim and his men.

As the La Quila continues its voyage to the Lágrimas, Frank passes through a territory where a pod of pink river dolphins where he warns Lily that legends of these dolphins might come true. Later when Lily uses a moving camera picture, she offers Frank to try it and film the life in the Amazon just before explaining to Lily and her brother McGregor that the Lágrimas de Cristal region is straight ahead to which Lily explains that according to the map, the ship will pass through a cliff and tributary ahead to which Frank decides to starboard right on their way to the region which Frank believes this path would lead to the rapids while Prince Joachim and his soldiers continue planning to steal the Arrowhead from Lily.

Passing through a lily pad area, McGregor asks Frank that he is hungry and hasn't eaten for a while so he decides to catch some piranhas and so that he can provide the couple some food to which Lily and her brother started enjoying the freshly-cooked piranha. After dinner, Frank tells McGregor that he can sleep anywhere downstairs except for his cabin which is off limits just as Frank discusses with Lily with McGregor getting ready for bed. When McGregor goes to bed, Lily discusses with Frank that in the jungle, legend tells that a petal from the Tree will heal everything and change the medicine forever. Suddenly, the conversation is interrupted when he notices Proxima chasing McGregor to which Lily feels worried with Frank for bringing a jaguar onboard the ship to which Frank was able to stop Proxima from attacking McGregor, explaining to her that he is a gentle person.

The next day, the La Quila arrives at the Garaganta del Diablo with Frank onboard the ship and his pet jaguar Proxima on deck. As the La Quila arrives at the rapids, Frank tells the passenger onboard to hold on tight due to the strong turbulence of the rapids while avoiding a waterfall nearby. Frank manages to navigate through the extreme turbulence of the rapids as well as the waterfall. As the La Quila arrives at Ucayali Cove, Frank departs from his ship as he discusses with McGregor of how he lived with her sister for two days while chopping some wood to which McGregor shares his experience of how life in the jungle is tough while getting used to Lily accompanying him. During the conversation with Frank, McGregor shares his experience of how his uncle almost attempted to exclude him from the Houghton family if it weren't for his sister. Later, Frank approaches Lily and tells her that the skipper's quarters are private to which while warning her, he explains to Lily that he came seeking the Tears of the Moon and also has a map just like hers just as Frank explains that he tracked the paths of the jungle where Aguirre once roamed to seek the legend but had no luck in finding seeking the legend.

Suddenly, Frank and the Houghtons encounter the Puka Michuna tribe where they are taken to their leader. Frank speaks to their leader explaining to free the Houghtons to which the chief refuses to. Frank explains to Lily that all the chief wants is the Arrowhead to which Lily explains to the chief that she has the Arrowhead which she will it to find the Tears of the Moon telling the chief to let go of Frank and McGregor to which the chief refuses to listen. As Lily faces the tribesmen's chief, she is revealed to be none other than Trader Sam. Sam confronts Frank to which she feels worried upon seeing Frank and the Houghtons who are wearing modern clothes just as Frank warns Lily about the fake danger. Later, Frank listens to Lily who is discussing with Trader Sam who is explaining to her that according to legend, the Tears of the Moon are located in La Luna Rota and for the Tree to bloom, it must bloom under the light of the blood moon. Lily explains that she will seek the La Luna Rota region by herself without Frank accompanying her, much to Frank's worry. However, noticing the undead conquistadors around, Frank warns Lily that there is a danger within the headhunter territory while menacing voices are calling out Frank's name to which Frank and Lily attempt to escape but they are blocked by the conquistador who was fused with snakes, revealing to be Aguirre who is seeking the Arrowhead.

As Aguirre attacks Frank and Lily, he attempts to kill the two just as Frank tells Trader Sam to save her tribe to which all of a sudden, Gonzalo, a conquistador fused with roots, joins the ambush and fights against Frank while Lily frees herself, followed by Melchor, another conquistador fused with mud and poison dart frogs. During the ambush, Frank escorts a couple of Puka Michuna members away from the conquistadors while Lily and her brother continue taking on Sancho and Aguirre. Frank later takes on Aguirre, the conquistador fused with snakes who has the Arrowhead. While being struck by Aguirre, Frank retrieves the Arrowhead but suddenly falls from above; Lily and McGregor attempt to attack the couple but are later pulled away to the area where they were imprisoned at.

The next day, Frank is revealed to have survived the ambush where he reveals his full name Francisco López de Heredia to Lily and her brother. Frank tells the couple to ask Trader Sam to remove the sword impaled on him to which Sam refuses, explaining that she is done pulling weapons out of Frank. As an alternative, Lily manages to pull the sword out of Frank. Later when Frank approaches McGregor to bring him to continue the journey to find the Tears of the Moon, Lily tells her brother to rest due to the injury he received. Back on the La Quila, Lily stitches up Frank's wound just as Frank recaps his flashback of his father who was a mercenary who was recruited by Aguirre's father in Algiers, explaining that his father died protecting him, he took him in, and raised him and Aguirre together like brothers. He also explained that Aguirre's daughter Anna was very ill where he promised his daughter that he would find a Tear of the Moon to heal her. Lily then explains to Frank that he once was Aguirre's cartographer who drew her map just as she explains to Frank that he was a minor master at this time just as Frank continues recapping the story he is telling to Lily where it is shown that Aguirre grew impatient and demanded the Puka Michuna tribe to give him the Arrowhead and take him to the tree but Aguirre attacked the tribe while demanding the chief to give his men the Arrowhead to which the chief refused just as Aguirre and his conquistadors attacked the Puka Michuna tribe as Aguirre and his conquistadors were punished by the jungle to protect its natural environment.

Frank then explains to Lily that Aguirre hated him for betraying him just as he fought with him over the years just as he continues narrating that Aguirre and his conquistadors were trapped in a cave where the jungle couldn't take them back to the river just as Aguirre and his men were petrified as punishment from the jungle. After finishing his story with Lily, he explains to her that he built a boat and named it after the goddess of the moon, Quila and charted every river while on the La Quila but found no luck finding the Tears of the Moon which was the reason he gave cruises to tourists around the Amazon River. He continues explaining to Lily that he needed a wild cat to assist him over the years, each named Proxima. That night, Frank asks Lily to know how many people have been searching for the Arrowhead to which Lily explains to Frank that she liberated it before just as Frank makes sure the Arrowhead is Lily's owner. Lily asks him to know what he will do upon finding the Tree of Life to which Frank explains that he will lift the curse just as the La Quila continues its journey to the La Luna Rota region.

Arriving at the La Luna Rota region, Frank and Lily are planning to enter the area where the Tears of the Moon would be at just as the two plan to find a way to enter the temple much to Lily explaining to Frank that she is not a good swimmer much to Frank telling her to trust him just as the two begin to swim underwater in a plan to access the area where the Tears of the Moon are at. While underwater, Lily steps on a switch in a plan to find a way to enter the temple while Frank instructs her to follow him to which the two work together to pull a lever to open the ancient temple where the Tears of the Moon are housed at and upon pulling a lever, a school of piranhas begin swimming toward the couple as Frank is being attacked by piranhas. As the piranhas surround and attack Frank, Lily continues activating a switch to open the entrance to the temple where the Tears of the Moon are at in which the two manage to overcome the challenge together. Back on the La Quila, Frank discusses with Lily about why he did this to her to which Lily feels furious with the skipper for putting her in danger just as the water level lowers down to reveal the entrance to the temple where the Tears of the Moon are at in a plan to turn water into stone. Frank then explains to Lily that after 400 years, he finally found the Tears of the Moon located in an ancient temple. Suddenly as the water level goes down, Frank sees Joachim's, where he is confronted by Joachim and his men just as Frank feels concerned upon seeing Joachim's antagonism just as the La Quila arrives at the ancient temple.

Upon arriving inside the ancient temple where the Tears of the Moon are at, Joachim confronts Lily who is threatening to kill her to which Frank attempts to give Joachim his comeuppance as he is the one using the Tears of the Moon just as Frank, Lily, and McGregor arrive at the spot where they are attempting find a way to find the Tears of the Moon. As Frank attempts to place the Arrowhead to help them find the Tears of the Moon, Joachim tells Lily to help him to which Lily decides to avoid trusting Joachim fearing that Joachim is deceiving her just as Frank decides to let Lily go through him first. Lily then sees an inscription of a warrior which tells the legend of the Tears of the Moon where a sacred tree grew inside the temple just as Lily tells Frank to give her the Arrowhead. As Lily explains to Frank that both of them should fix the broken heart, it is found out that the artifact represents the heart just as Frank opens it in half to reveal a small gem inside and Lily places it on the inscription of a fallen warrior to form his heart while Frank places the Arrowhead on a slot that fixes it where the Tears of the Moon appear just as Lily and the others see the sacred tree inside the La Luna Rota temple. However, Lily does the sacrifice she made for Joachim in using a pistol against the skipper to which he suddenly falls off. Frank suddenly survives the fall as he ends up in the La Quila where he and McGregor fight against Joachim's mercenaries followed by McGregor who calls Proxima to tackle one of the soldiers.

Furthermore, Frank comes to the rescue to save Lily being attacked by Prince Joachim just as Frank retrieves the last petal of the Tears of the Moon from the sacred tree which suddenly withers after the Moon sets. When Aguirre and his conquistadors appear and set out an ambush, Frank plans to protect his allies from Aguirre by showing him the petal while telling Proxima to protect McGregor. Frank prepares to sacrifice his beloved ship the La Quila in order to save Lily by crashing it into a pillar in which while trying to sacrifice it, Aguirre and Sancho leap into the La Quila and the two conquistadors attack him. Frank plans to save himself from Sancho by opening the ship's engine to use fire to dislodge Sancho to which as Frank her plan to sacrifice the La Quila, Gonzalo, Aguirre, and Sancho continue assaulting Frank as Aguirre tells Frank to give him the petal. Aguirre's snakes then begin to attack Frank while Aguirre himself urges Frank to give him the petal. As Frank plans to give Aguirre the petal, Frank plans to give it to him only to find the toucan decoy inside much to Aguirre's snakes being deceived by the toucan decoy. Frank suddenly crashes his ship into a pillar to block the river. Frank ends up being grabbed by the vines and later petrified into stone, alongside the other conquistadors.

With Frank petrified on the wall with the other conquistadors, Proxima sadly reacts to Frank who was turned into stone to which Lily manages to give a petal of the Tears of the Moon to revive Frank just as Frank happily rejoices with Lily, McGregor, and Proxima to which a new petal of the Tree of Life suddenly grows inside the La Luna Rota area. The next day, Frank returns to Porto Velho via raft alongside Lily, McGregor, and Proxima. There, Frank approaches Nilo to which Frank explains to him that he has all the boats to which Nilo feels startled upon feeling Proxima passing through him just as Frank, Lily, McGregor, and Proxima walk across the docks. Arriving back at England, Lily teaches Frank how to drive a car while exploring the streets of London with Proxima sitting at the back of the car just as the two drive around London.

Disney Parks [ ]

Frank's jacket can be seen hanging in the office of Alberta Falls along with that of Lily Houghton. His hat is hanging in an office within the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise. The map of the Magic Kingdom's Jungle Cruise rivers appears to have been made by him as well, as a gift for Jungle Navigation Company founder Dr. Albert Falls in 1911 then augmented by Alberta in the 1930s. On the map is the message "To Albert , here's to many more adventures of a lifetime - F.W." on the bottom left corner and on the upper-right corner, "Here is adventure, here is romance, here is mystery". This map also appears aboard the Mekong Maiden in Disneyland's Jungle Cruise, in the possession of chimpanzees.

• Frank is designed after Humphrey Bogart's character Charlie Allnut from the 1951 adventure-romance The African Queen . This is a tribute to how imagineer Harper Goff was inspired by said film when creating the Jungle Cruise. Charlie himself has been included in the Jungle Cruise property via a photograph in Bengal Barbecue and post-card from him in Trader Sam's Enchanted Tiki Bar .
• A possible explanation might be that Frank only made the Amazon portions of the map while the rest was filled in by Dr. Albert Falls or even Alberta years later.
• While it goes without saying, Frank is supposed to be of Spanish descent, while his actor Dwayne Johnson , is actually of Samoan/Black Nova Scotian descent, though admittedly Johnson's ethnic appearance could easily pass for any other descent.
• On the map of the Rivers of Adventure, Frank quotes Walt Disney 's plaque for Adventureland.
• The compass of the map is the logo for the Society of Explorers and Adventurers , a colonial secret-society in the ride's backstory. It is unclear if this logo would have been added by Frank in 1911 or a later addition by Alberta Falls or Dr. Albert Falls (possibly evidenced by the compass being upside-down).
• The expedition which he and Lope were on might be a reference to the historic Aguirre's 1560 quest for El Dorado.
• Both are hired by the main character in a Cantina ( Lily Houghton and Luke Skywalker )
• Both are in debt and owe money to a gangster ( Nilo Nemolato and Jabba the Hutt )
• Both have a furry partner who accompanies them ( Proxima and Chewbacca )
• Both own a ship that is said to be a piece of junk, but is built for speed ((the La Quila and the Millennium Falcon )

Gallery [ ]

External links [ ]

• Frank Wolff on Jungle Cruise Wiki

References [ ]

• ↑ https://movies.disney.com/jungle-cruise
• 2 The Emotions

DINUS » Frank Wolff

Frank Wolff (Jungle Cruise)

Last Updated on: June 12th, 2024

Who is Frank Wolff?

Frank Wolff is a fictional character from the 2021 film “ Jungle Cruise ,” which is inspired by the Disney theme park attraction of the same name. Frank is portrayed by actor Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson.

In the film, Frank Wolff is a charismatic, clever, and somewhat roguish riverboat captain who operates a run-down, but charming boat named La Quila. He offers guided tours along the Amazon River, filled with staged adventures and fake dangers to entertain his passengers. Frank’s life takes a thrilling turn when he crosses paths with Dr. Lily Houghton, played by Emily Blunt, who hires him to take her on a perilous journey through the Amazon in search of the Tree of Life, a legendary entity believed to possess unparalleled healing powers.

Throughout their adventure, Frank’s wit, navigational skills, and intimate knowledge of the river prove invaluable as they encounter real dangers and challenges. Despite his initial facade of only being interested in monetary gain, it’s revealed that Frank has a deeper and more altruistic side, especially as his camaraderie with Lily and her brother McGregor Houghton (played by Jack Whitehall) grows.

Frank Wolff’s character adds a blend of humor, adventure, and heart to the narrative, making “Jungle Cruise” a comedic and thrilling exploration of friendship, trust, and discovery in the wild backdrop of the Amazon jungle.

List of Frank Wolff Movies, TV Shows and More:

Here is the Internet’s largest collection of Frank Wolff -related movies, TV shows, toys and other products. As always, new pieces are added to this collection regularly.

Movie Appearances

Jungle Cruise

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• “The Wonderful World of Disney” Returns to ABC on Sunday, October 1st with Broadcast Network Premiere of “Jungle Cruise” , September 27, 2023
• ‘Jungle Cruise’ To Set Sail For China In November As Market Dates Trio Of Hollywood Titles , October 29, 2021
• Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” Coming to 4K, Blu-Ray, DVD November 16th with Cover Art and Store Exclusives Revealed , September 24, 2021
• Sequel to Jungle Cruise Movie Already in Development at Disney , September 1, 2021
• Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ Debuts at No. 1 with More Than $90 Million Globally Between Box Office and Disney+ Premier Access , August 3, 2021
• Discover ‘Jungle Cruise’ Film Easter Eggs at Newly Enhanced, World-Famous Jungle Cruise Attraction , July 30, 2021
• Watch Disney’s ‘Jungle Cruise’ World Premiere Red Carpet Live Stream on July 24 , July 14, 2021
• Why Jungle Cruise’s Release Date Was Delayed A Whole Year , September 13, 2020
• Dwayne Johnson shares heartfelt message and photo as Disney’s “Jungle Cruise” wraps filming , June 4, 2019
• Disney’s Jungle Cruise Star Dwayne Johnson Promises an Epic Adventure , May 21, 2019

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No Lion, the Skipper Is the Real King of the Jungle Cruise

Bad jokes and puns are part of a Disneyland job that has been immortalized in a new film. Those who’ve held the role at the theme park never really leave it behind.

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By Kathryn Shattuck

In 1916 Brazil, Skipper Frank Wolff runs the cheapest jungle cruise on the Amazon. And undoubtedly the cheesiest, as he introduces tourists to the river’s wondrous sights with a spiel overflowing with doozies.

“If you look to the left of the boat, you’ll see some very playful toucans. They’re playing their favorite game of beak-wrestling. The only drawback is, only two can play.”

“The rocks you see here in the river are sandstone. But some people just take them for granite. It’s one of my boulder attractions.”

And the highlight of the tour: “Ladies and gentlemen, get ready for the eighth wonder of the world,” he says, building toward the climax, as his rickety steamboat passes behind a makeshift waterfall. “Wait for it … the backside of water!”

Frank’s guests may groan and roll their eyes at his droll banter in Disney’s “ Jungle Cruise ,” starring Dwayne Johnson as the swaggering skipper and arriving July 30 on Disney+ and in theaters. But the skippers and their spiels — corny jokes and bad puns, the cringier the better — have been the real stars of the Jungle Cruise attraction since the first one opened at Disneyland in 1955. Take them away and the seven-minute fantasy boat trip along rivers in South America, Asia and Africa, inspired in part by “The African Queen,” might be just another ride down a fake waterway with fake scenery.

It’s also one of the rare performing jobs at a Disney theme park where the skippers can weave their own personalities into the script — from dry and geeky to animated and flamboyant — and get guests in on the action. “It’s this alchemy that happens” that few attractions can replicate, said Alex Williams, a former skipper who now works for the Disney fan club D23.

With the new movie as well as the ride’s freshly reimagined story line, the Jungle Cruise is in the spotlight now, and no one is feeling it more than the skippers themselves.

“We’re all just really excited about being able to share this experience with everyone and being the inspiration for the movie,” said Flor Torres, a “lead” on the attraction.

“Once a skip, always a skip.” That’s the motto of skippers who’ve held a job requiring them to maneuver a boat while performing a stand-up routine dozens of times across an eight-hour day.

“People really take that to heart,” Torres added of the motto. “I know skippers that have worked here maybe 20, 30 years ago, and they still come by and talk to us like they were just here yesterday.”

A handful have wisecracked their way to bigger stages, like Ron Ziegler , the White House press secretary for President Richard M. Nixon; the filmmaker John Lasseter ; Steve Franks, a screenwriter and the creator of the TV series “Psych”; and, it’s said, the actor Kevin Costner. (Alas, stories that Robin Williams and Steve Martin honed their humor at the helm are apparently only myths.)

Other former skippers have recounted their experiences on podcasts like “Tales From the Jungle Crews” and “The Backside of Water,” or provided pandemic uplift in Freddy Martin’s “World Famous Jungle Cruise” video and its sequel .

And a bold few have revealed some not-Disney-approved antics in books like “ Skipper Stories : True Tales From Disneyland’s Jungle Cruise,” a compilation of six decades of anecdotes from former skippers, including the author, David John Marley.

To wit: The ritual of becoming a “real skipper” by peeing in the river at night. The Jungle Justice inflicted on skippers who abused their break time (they found themselves suddenly scheduled for upward of 90 minutes of nonstop cruises without water or a bathroom stop). The off-hours party where $2,000 was spent on alcohol and condoms.

A good skipper is an extrovert, a nut and somewhat of a rogue. At least that’s how Bill Sullivan , who joined the Jungle Cruise in 1955, once put it . His own skipper colleagues included a man who arrived one morning with chameleons around his neck.

They didn’t have much of a script in the beginning so the men wrote their own, Sullivan, who eventually became vice president of the Magic Kingdom, recalled in 2008. (Women didn’t become skippers until the mid-1990s.)

The spiel had been repeatedly fine-tuned by the time Franks landed his gig in the late 1980s. And venturing from it was ill-advised.

“You would hear these stories about supervisors hiding in the jungle, listening for people going off-book, but if that was true, they would have canned me on Day 2,” he said. “I knew I wanted to make movies, and I was doing stand-up at the time. And as soon as we got around the first corner, I was working in material.”

Franks stayed at Disneyland for eight and a half years, writing the script for Adam Sandler’s “Big Daddy” while monitoring the Enchanted Tiki Room.

Crews may have been rowdier back in the day, but “today we’re much more conservative, a little less the Wild West,” said Kevin Lively, one of two skippers chosen to represent Disneyland at Tokyo Disney Resort’s 25th anniversary celebration in 2009. (There’s also a Jungle Cruise at Walt Disney World and Hong Kong Disneyland.)

Lively now works as a Disney Imagineer, developing skipper spiels and contributing “gnu” magic to the attraction, which has replaced racist elements like spear-throwing African “headhunters” with a story about Felix Pechman XIII, “the unluckiest skipper on the dock.”

And when the “Jungle Cruise” movie needed an injection of humor, Lively was on it.

“I shotgun-blast puns and references and Easter eggs to them, and let them kind of just run amok,” he said. “There’s stuff in there that I think all these skippers will get, which just makes me over-the-moon happy. They really showed their love of the attraction in that film.”

Skipper Frank’s ersatz Amazon tour wasn’t in the original script, said Jaume Collet-Serra, the movie’s director. But once the filmmaker had ridden the actual Jungle Cruise and witnessed reactions to that “backside of water” joke, he knew what he had to do.

Treat the audience to a mini-Jungle Cruise experience.

“I was like, let me give them what they want for two minutes and then I’ll give them more, but at least they’ll be happy early,” he said. “You know, ‘Here is what you came for — now let the movie begin.’”

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12 details you missed in 'Jungle Cruise'

• "Jungle Cruise," starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, is in theaters and on Disney+ now.
• The movie is based off of the ride of the same name in Disney World's Magic Kingdom/
• Easter eggs includes nods to the ride, a hidden Metallica song, and references to Disney World.

The character Albert Falls is mentioned in the movie, and it's a nod to the Magic Kingdom ride

Emily Blunt's character, Dr. Lily Houghton, attempts to steal a sacred artifact in the film's opening scenes.

It is mentioned that the artifact — an arrowhead — was found on an expedition led by Albert Falls.

It's a neat nod to the ride since on the Magic Kingdom ride, guests are told that the waterfall, Schweitzer Falls, is named after a Dr. Albert Falls. 

Frank's business is called the Jungle Navigation Company — the same fictional company that owns The Jungle Cruise tours

Dwayne Johnson plays the skipper, Frank, in the movie and the character runs cruises down the river under his company the Jungle Navigation Company.

In Disney World, a fictional company of the same name is said to put on the jungle cruises when guests take the ride.

Frank's jungle cruise plays out just like the ride, and they both include animatronic animals

We first meet Johnson's Frank when he takes a boat full of guests on one of his cruises. His tour of the river looks, feels, and plays out exactly like the Disney World ride.

This includes the famous animatronic animals that populate the ride. In Frank's tour, we see a host of them, including an animatronic hippo and boa constrictor.

Frank makes the famous 'backside of water' joke that theme park skippers make on the ride

One of the many punny dad jokes Frank makes is the "backside of water" line.

Frank tells his guests that they are about to see the "eighth wonder of the world" just before they pass under a waterfall.

This is a running joke on the Disney Parks' ride as the theme park skippers always make some variation of this joke when they take guests on the ride.

The joke goes something like this: "The moment you've all been waiting for: the eighth wonder of the world ... the back side of water. Looks a lot like the front, doesn't it?"

In fact, Frank's puns all come from the skipper's lines on the famous ride

The Jungle Cruise is a relaxed, tongue-in-cheek ride that is suitable for all, even the youngest of all park guests. The pun-filled sense of humor that the skippers' boast is a staple part of the experience.

Those trademark puns are ever-present in the movie, helping to carry over the flavor and character of the ride onto the big screen via Johnson's pitch-perfect deliveries.

Nilo's bird is called Rosita, the name of the missing bird from the Enchanted Tiki Room in Disneyland

Paul Giamatti's Nilo owns a pet bird called Rosita, who likes to remind people how much money Frank owes his owner.

The bird and its name is significant.

It's the same bird that is missing in the Enchanted Tiki Room , an attraction in Disneyland right next to the Jungle Cruise ride. 

Lily and Frank's costumes are featured in the updated version of the Jungle Cruise ride

The Jungle Cruise ride at Disneyland was given a fresh new update, opening officially on July 16.

The update included nods to Disney's mega-bucks movie, with the coats of Lily and Frank visible to guests while they queue up for they ride . They are hung in Alberta Falls' office.

Lily and Frank's maps are also seen in the ride update

Just like the costumes, the maps that we see Lily and Frank use in the movie (which were all drawn by Frank) also make it into the ride update. They are framed in Alberta's office.

A Conquistador's helmet is featured in the updated ride, too

Frank and Lily's hats are also hung in the ride , in the Safari Supply Storage Room, alongside a Conquistador's helmet — a nod to Frank's past and the character of Édgar Ramirez, the villainous Aguirre.

Aguirre is the leader of a group of cursed Conquistadors, who are one of several villains to Frank and Lily.

Aguirre and Prince Joachim were actually real people

Both of the movie's chief villains, Ramirez's Aguirre and Jesse Plemons' German Prince Joachim, are actually based on real people.

Lope de Aguirre was a real Spanish Conquistador, who was active in South America in the 1500s. While the movie adjusts Aguirre's backstory, the real man is best known for his expedition down the Amazon River, searching for the mythical kingdom of El Dorado. His expedition ended in his death in Venezuela in 1561.

Meanwhile, Prince Joachim (full name Prince Joachim Franz Humbert of Prussia) was a German royale. Again, the movie greatly fictionalizes Prince Joachim's actual story.

In real life, Joachim was expected to rule an independent Ireland as a German prince, should Germany had won the first World War.

After his father abdicated the throne, however, Prince Joachim was left with a much lower social status. This, combined with financial woes and a divorce, led to Prince Joachim taking his own life in 1920 at the age of 29.

Trader Sam, a character from the ride, appears in the film — although its greatly updated

In the ride, Trader Sam tries to sell shrunken heads to guests in exchange for their own head. He often wears a top hat in some of the incarnations of the ride.

The character of Trader Sam was criticized for being racist and culturally insensitive. It   was removed from the ride at Magic Kingdom earlier this year.

The movie does include a version of this character, though, but it's played by actress Veronica Falcón.

In the movie, Trader Sam, chief of the Puka Michuna tribe in 1916, actually helps the protagonists in their quest.

Although Disney clearly tried to strip back any culturally insensitive aspects to the character, it did include nod to the ride as Sam trades a hat with Lily in exchange for translating the marks on the arrowhead artifact.

Metallica did an orchestral version of their song 'Nothing Else Matters' that's featured in the movie

One name you probably didn't expect to hear attached to a Disney movie was Metallica. But the band's famous song "Nothing Else Matters" appears in the movie.

Metallica and the movie's composer, James Newton Howard, worked together to make an orchestral version of the song.

It plays during a pivotal moment in the film — the flashback explaining the origin of the Conquistadors.

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Though a theme park ride inspires Disney's  Jungle Cruise , vast differences exist between the film and the Disney attraction. In  Jungle Cruise , Emily Blunt plays Dr. Lily Houghton, a botanist with some Indiana Jones-like flair. Lily has spent years searching for Tears of the Moon, a mythical tree with magical healing powers. Unfortunately, an explorers association denies Lily and her brother,  McGregor (Jack Whitehall) , the chance to use an arrowhead that could help find the legendary tree. So Lily takes things into her own hands. She steals the arrowhead and takes her brother to the Amazon to look for the tree. To travel on the Amazon River, they acquire the services of Frank Wolff (Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson), who's also after the Tears of the Moon. The group faces several adversaries along the journey, including cursed, immortal Spanish conquistadors and Prince Joachim (Jesse Plemons), a German aristocrat trying to use the tree to bring glory to his country during World War I.

Disney has a long history of pairing rides with films. From  The Tower of Terror to   Eddie Murphy's  Haunted Mansion , Disney's marketing scheme brings new excitement to its rides while giving its IP bankable brand extensions. Most notably, Disney's  Pirates of the Caribbean  films brought new life to its theme park attraction while giving the studio a $4 billion-plus franchise. With a Jungle Cruise sequel already in the works, it seems Disney wants to have The Rock and Emily Blunt continually cruise through the wilderness well into the future.

Related:  Jungle Cruise Turns The Disney Ride's Biggest Lie Into A Reality

Despite the source material for  Jungle Cruise , the movie differentiates itself from the theme park ride. For instance, Trader Sam's story is completely changed, and The Rock isn't like the regular skippers seen on the Jungle Cruise ride . On the other hand, the movie does include small details, such as a backstory for Dr. Albert Falls, which keeps it connected to the Disney attraction. Given the film's inspiration, there are some notable similarities. However,  Jungle Cruise doesn't let its ride limit it, and it often goes off in wild directions.

Jungle Cruise Changes The Setting To The Amazon

At Disney's Jungle Cruise, passengers don't explore just one jungle. Instead, the ride takes Disney guests on an exotic tour down multiple rivers of the world, including the Nile in Africa, the Mekong River in Asia, and South America's Amazon. However, Disney's new film strictly focuses on the Amazon, with Lily, McGregor, and Frank traveling down the river searching for the mythical Tears of the Moon. Disney allows the film to build a more in-depth story around one specific location by focusing on the Amazon River. It also leaves room for Jungle Cruise sequels to travel to other rivers of the world in the future.

Trader Sam Is Drastically Changed

The Trader Sam portion of Disney's Jungle Cruise ride created controversy over its insensitive depiction of Indigenous people. In a previous version of the ride, Trader Sam would hold shrunken heads, and the skippers would joke to the guests that the character had a sale going on: two of Sam's heads for one of the guests' heads. Other portions of the ride included natives seemingly attacking the boats. Disney has since removed the controversial depiction of Trader Sam in an updated version of its 66-year-old ride, and the movie changes Sam's story even more.

In Jungle Cruise , Trader Sam is gender-swapped and played by Mexican actress Veronica Falcón. Sam is part of a local tribe that helps Frank try to trick Lily out of the arrowhead that leads to Tears of the Moon. However, Sam gives up the ruse when she realizes things are going too far, revealing Frank was lying. Trader Sam also helps translate the arrowhead, which is the key to Lily and Frank eventually making their way to the legendary tree.

Related:  Jungle Cruise Ending & Meaning Explained

The Rock Isn't An Average Jungle Cruise Skipper

When it comes to Jungle Cruise , The Rock isn't like the regular skippers on the ride. He does have some similarities, constantly cracking one-liner jokes and puns throughout the movie; however, he also gets an incredibly complicated backstory. The film reveals that Frank is also one of the cursed Spanish conquistadors who set out for the Tears of the Moon hundreds of years ago. After being cursed, he is forced to live along the Amazon River, constantly searching for Tears of the Moon so its petals can free him, and he can die in peace. The story is a vastly different depiction of the wise-cracking skippers that generally lead the ride.

The Movie Changes Dr. Albert Falls' Backstory

Albert Falls was originally a joke in the Jungle Cruise ride, being the name given to the discoverer of Schweitzer Falls. But, of course, the actual namesake is Nobel Prize winner Albert Schweitzer. Disney's Jungle Cruise  creates a mystery around Albert Falls . According to the film, Falls originally acquired the legendary arrowhead, which helps find the Tears of the Moon. He leaves the arrowhead in possession of the explorers association that rudely rejects Lily and her brother early in the movie. There are many questions about Falls' journey and how he got the arrowhead, but the movie doesn't add a lot of details.

Jungle Cruise Adds New Creations For The Movie

The ride doesn't hinder Disney's Jungle Cruise film in the least. In addition to the legendary healing tree, Tears of the Moon, the film brings in Aguirre (Edgar Ramirez) and his Spanish conquistadors. The men were cursed to live along the Amazon after trying to force a local tribe to reveal the tree's location, eventually turning into monsters when Frank (also a cursed conquistador) traps his former friends away from the river's water. Emily Blunt's  Jungle Cruise  heroine , who wants to help rid the world of disease; The Rock's boat skipper, who is secretly hundreds of years old and wants to die; and Plemons' nefarious prince, who is out to exploit the healing tree for war, are all new inventions for the film. All the new creations help give the plot more twists and turns than any river.

Jungle Cruise Also Has Similarities To The Ride

Though the film takes its Jungle Cruise inspiration in wild directions, it starts with a deep connection to the ride. For instance, before The Rock reveals his secret identity as a cursed Spanish explorer, he is introduced as a typical Jungle Cruise skipper. He even takes guests on a jungle cruise, using the same pun-filled jokes from the latest version of the classic Disney ride  at the parks. And, of course,  Jungle Cruise  gives viewers the one thing all guests look forward to in Disney's boat tour, a glorious view of the backside of water.

More:  Jungle Cruise 2: What To Expect

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Jambo, ahoy skippers, and welcome to the world famous Jungle Cruise Wiki!

This wiki is dedicated to all things Jungle Cruise including behind-the-scenes development history, in-universe characters and backstory, media such as the 2020 film, and of-course the several Jungle Cruise and Jungle Cruise property attractions in the Disney Parks from the outskirts of Adventureland to the Port of Harambe. Travel as you will, and don't be afraid to contribute or communicate with our operatives.

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Jungle Cruise 2 - What We Know So Far

Disney has a long history of adapting its theme park rides for the big screen, and its latest, " Jungle Cruise ," is another hit for the House of Mouse. Based on the ride of the same name, the movie stars Dwayne Johnson, Emily Blunt, and Jack Whitehall as explorers who sail deep into the Amazon jungle to find an ancient tree that grows petals with healing capabilities. Naturally, there are some bad people who want the tree's petals for themselves, and they're not above summoning spirits to aid their cause.

"Jungle Cruise" is a pulpy adventure in the vein of "Pirates of the Caribbean" and "Indiana Jones," making it the perfect viewing for the summer movie season. And now that the film has passed the $100 million mark (per The Hollywood Reporter ), Disney is officially moving forward with a sequel. But what can viewers expect from "Jungle Cruise 2" when it eventually arrives on their screens?

When will Jungle Cruise 2 be released?

At the time of this writing, a release date for "Jungle Cruise 2" has yet to be confirmed. The movie is in the very early stages of the pre-production process, so viewers will just have to be patient for now. As Radio Times points out, studio blockbusters tend to take around two years to complete, so the sequel could arrive in 2023 at the earliest.

Of course, the production of "Jungle Cruise 2" could be delayed due to the unpredictable nature of the pandemic, as well as the schedules of the film's stars. Dwayne Johnson keeps himself very busy, taking on a lot of roles in tentpole flicks. It remains to be seen if "Jungle Cruise 2" will be his priority now that DC's " Black Adam " has finished shooting. However, chances are he'll want to keep the current "Jungle Cruise" momentum rolling and get the sequel wrapped up while the iron is hot.

Who's in Jungle Cruise 2?

As the "The Hollywood Reporter" notes, Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt are set to reprise their roles as Frank Wolff and Dr. Lily Houghton, respectively, for the next jungle-faring adventure. While his status for the sequel remains unconfirmed, British comedian Jack Whitehall could return as MacGregor, Lily's younger brother who — often against his better judgment — helps his sibling on her dangerous quests. Whitehall is a big name in the U.K, but "Jungle Cruise 2" is an ideal vehicle for continuing to solidify his presence in Hollywood.

While no other casting announcements have been made official at the time of this writing, the first movie did leave the door open to some interesting possibilities. Given that Frank has a history with Aguirre, Édgar Ramírez might be brought back as the ghostly serpentine villain. While the bad guy was turned to stone at the end of the first "Jungle Cruise," Aguirre's backstory with Frank has only been explored briefly, and the film gave us the impression that the former allies have some unfinished business with each other.

Of course, the "Jungle Cruise" ride has a wealth of interesting characters, and the sequel could feature more of them. With that in mind, expect some fresh faces to appear in "Jungle Cruise 2."

What's the plot of Jungle Cruise 2?

Details about the plot for "Jungle Cruise 2" are being kept under wraps for now, but the good news is that the story is in trustworthy hands. Michael Green, who co-wrote the first film, will pen the script for the next installment. Jaume Collet-Serra is reportedly set to return to the director's chair as well.

According to Digital Spy , the sequel could feature a fish-out-of-water story for Frank now that he's been brought out of the jungle and forced to navigate 1920s London. Additionally, "Jungle Cruise 2" could explore MacGregor's story more after he came out as gay in the first film. However, this was only tacitly implied and the word "gay" is never actually said, so perhaps the next movie could be an opportunity to give MacGregor a positive LGBTQ+ love story and spend more time developing his character.

Regardless of the direction "Jungle Cruise 2" goes in, viewers can look forward to another family-friendly adventure that puts the film's heroes in a perilous situation. And with Frank definitely set to play a huge part, he'll undoubtedly have plenty of corny jokes to share along the way.