The disney movie jungle cruise is set on a journey based on the belief of the rainforest

For the briefest of moments in the summer of 2018, Adventureland was real. If you knew where to look, you would find yourself transported to the bustling river town of Porto Belo in Brazil at the turn of the century, wandering the crowded aisles of an open-air marketplace or ordering a drink at the Hotel de Ferreira. Locals, clothes dusty and skin baked in the sun, and tourists dressed in European finery alike belly up to the bar, hoping to beat the heat. It's June 1 and day 14 of shooting Disney's Jungle Cruise in Līhuʻe, Hawaii. Based on the beloved theme park attraction of the same name, the movie stars "We had heard that the set was spectacular for months as they were building it," says Johnson. "But when we finally stepped on set -- we stepped on set together -- we were just blown away. Very inspired. Had goosebumps." Jungle Cruise's Porto Belo is Adventureland fully realized -- or mostly realized, if you avoid the small number of sets that are exterior only. I've not personally been to Brazil in the year 1916, but this feels less like it was adapted from the theme park's pastiche of Africa, Asia and South America, among other far-flung locales, and more like the real place that inspired Walt Disney to dream up Adventureland in the first place, complete with plants that would have been native to the Amazon Rainforest a century ago. Erected on a reservoir that provides drinking water for the island, the sprawling set -- from the immersive cityscape to the docks -- was ...

Over the years, a number of Disney’s theme park attractions have served as inspiration for films: The Country Bears (2002), The Haunted Mansion (2003) and, most notably, the Pirates of the Caribbean series. Jungle Cruise is the latest addition to this sub-genre. Directed by Jaume Collet-Serra, the film—released in theaters and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30, and topping the weekend box office with $90M globally, which factors in over $30M on streaming—is based on the ride of the same name. Jungle Cruise was on Disneyland’s roster when the theme park opened in 1955, and has since become an iconic attraction, operating at Disney theme parks in Orlando, Tokyo and Hong Kong in addition to the original Anaheim location. But the popular ride has long faced criticism for its racist portrayal of Indigenous peoples. In January 2021, Imagineering—the arm of Disney that creates and constructs its theme parks— On the ride, visitors to the Jungle Cruise journey on boats through major rivers of the world, from the Amazon to the Nile, as animatronic characters emerge from corners of the jungle. A skipper, who keeps guests entertained with dad jokes and corny puns, serves as a guide. The film also ventures into the Amazon jungle, with Dwayne Johnson playing the skipper, Frank Wolff. Set in 1916, Jungle Cruise follows British botanist Dr. Lily Houghton (Emily Blunt) as she enlists Frank’s help to explore the jungle to find the Tree of Life, which is fabled to have healing powers...