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How Jungle Cruise Box Office Compares To The Rock’s Other Franchises

Disney’s Jungle Cruise opened to a surprisingly successful domestic box office weekend, bringing in $34.2 million, but how does it stand up to The Rock’s other franchise hauls? The new film stars Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as Skipper Frank Wolff, A Quiet Place’s Emily Blunt as Dr. Lily Houghton, and Jack Whitehall as Lily’s younger brother and hesitant assistant McGregor Houghton. Lily recruits Frank to guide them down the treacherous Amazon river and through the arduous jungle as they search for the mystical Tree of Life, rumored to have healing powers that would greatly benefit modern medicine.

Jungle Cruise is Disney’s new adaptation of one of its popular theme park rides like Pirates of the Caribbean or Haunted Mansion, with the new film taking from the adventure ride of the same name. With Pirates of the Caribbean slowing down in popularity after the controversy over Captain Jack Sparrow’s Johnny Depp, Disney desperately needs a new historical adventure franchise to take over the reins. Jungle Cruise is already proving to be a hit with theaters and streaming, so Disney may have just found its new Pirates Of The Caribbean theme park ride movie replacement.

Related: Jungle Cruise: Why Disney Thinks Theme Park Rides Make For Good Movies

The Rock’s film career has spanned over 20 years, going from a well-known professional wrestler to one of the most billable actors in Hollywood. Johnson began in supporting roles in franchises and action movies before moving into lead roles in dramas and comedies, eventually helming his own blockbuster franchises, the latest of which being Jungle Cruise. In reflecting on the franchise successes of The Rock’s career, it’s worth taking a look at how Jungle Cruise stands up to his prior box office earnings.

How Jungle Cruise’s Box Office Compares To His Fast & Furious Movies
Fast and furious 10 what to expect The Rock Vin Diesel

Although Fast & Furious was a booming franchise since its debut film in 2001, The Rock joining the cast helped bring in more audiences with his contributions. In Fast Five, The Rock was introduced as DSS Agent Luke Hobbs, originally tasked with tracking down and apprehending Dom Toretto’s crew. From then on, The Rock has portrayed Hobbs in the next four Fast & Furious movies, including his own spin-off Hobbs & Shaw, though didn’t return for 2021’s F9.

Fast Five, The Rock’s first entry, brought in $109.6 million in its opening weekend. Keeping up with Fast Five’s momentum, Fast & Furious 6, earned a $97.3 million opening box office haul. Although much of Furious 7’s success is due to the film being Paul Walker’s last feature after tragically passing away before its release, it ended up becoming one of the highest-grossing films of all time, racking up an incredible $147.1 million in its opening weekend. The franchise’s next film, The Fate and the Furious, still had The Rock and Vin Diesel at its helm to gross $98.8 million at the box office opening weekend. Although not a disappointment by any means for The Rock’s spin-off, Hobbs & Shaw’s box office opening earned only $60 million.

Fast & Furious is a two-decade money-making franchise that makes it difficult to compare to Jungle Cruise, a family-friendly Disney franchise just standing up on its feet. Since the least performing film in The Rock’s contributions to Fast & Furious was Hobbs & Shaw with a $60 million opening weekend, Jungle Cruise bringing in a little more than half that number in the middle of a pandemic still bodes well. If Jungle Cruise’s momentum picks up in subsequent years with the pandemic subsided, it may not reach Fast & Furious’s speed, but could still perform competitively.

Related: Disney’s Jungle Cruise Movie Can Finally Give The Rock His OWN Franchise

How Jungle Cruise’s Box Office Compares To Jumanji
The Rock in Jumanji

As The Rock’s first franchise almost completely helmed by his own stardom, Jumanji performed extremely well in the box office. The film series takes from 1995’s film of the same name, this time modernizing it in a video-game context with more action and adventure. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, earned $36 million in its opening weekend, which is on par with Jungle Cruise’s $34 million. The sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, outperformed both of its predecessors with a $59.2 million opening. Considering Jungle Cruise also performed well on streaming, bringing in another $30 million in its opening weekend, its performance so far parallels Jumanji’s track.

How Jungle Cruise’s Box Office Compares To The Rock’s Other Franchises
journey 2 cast dwayne johnson michael caine

In The Rock’s debut film role, he joined The Mummy, one of the most successful adventure franchises of all time, for its first sequel. Considering Jungle Cruise is heavily inspired by The Mummy, it’s no surprise The Rock starred in two of the latter’s films. The Mummy Returns ended up bringing in $68 million in its opening box office weekend, outperforming the original film. The Rock then starred as the lead in The Scorpion King, a prequel to The Mummy about his eponymous character, which only earned $36 million in its opening weekend.

Again taking over in a Brendan Fraser-led franchise, The Rock joined the Journey to the Center of the Earth movies in the second installment. Another action-adventure series, The Rock helmed Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, which brought in $27.3 million from its box office opening weekend. Jungle Cruise already performing higher than the 2012 established franchise film means it will likely have a longer future than the Journey films.

With Snake Eyes revamping the G.I. Joe film franchise, it’s an apt time to look back on Dwayne Johnson’s success in the second installment, G.I. Joe: Retaliation. The film earned $40 million in its opening box office weekend, much higher than Snake Eyes at $13.3 million, although the latter is being released during a pandemic.

Related: Jungle Cruise: Why The Reviews Are So Mixed

Why Jungle Cruise’s Box Office Is Good For The Rock
Jungle Cruise poster with Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt

Although difficult to compare The Rock’s franchise box office earnings for the films he joined after the series was established compared to a brand new Jungle Cruise franchise, the contrasts seem to prove Jungle Cruise is headed on the right track. Earning $32 million at the box office in an opening weekend almost always signals success for a film, especially a family-friendly Disney movie opening simultaneously for streaming on Disney+. Although many of his other films earned around $100 million in their opening weekends, some of his more recent successful franchises brought in about the same as Jungle Cruise without a pandemic.

Bringing in over $30 million in theater box office revenue and another $30 million from streaming are great news for The Rock, meaning his fun persona is enough to bring families out of their homes and into theaters during a pandemic. Without the pandemic, Jungle Cruise likely would have brought in significantly higher revenue, so earning an opening of $32 million against a projected haul of $25 million proves The Rock’s power at the box office.

Next: Jungle Cruise: Why The Rock Is Perfect As The Skipper

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Fast & Furious 11 Needs Hobbs Vs. Dom (To End The Rock & Vin Diesel’s Feud)

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Fast and Furious 11 needs to feature an epic fight between The Rock and Vin Diesel to resolve the real-life feud and bring closure to their characters’ relationship. The clash between Dom and Hobbs in Fast Five was a game-changer, and revisiting that epic confrontation in Fast 11 would elevate the action and add nostalgia. A showdown between Dom and Hobbs in Fast 11 could serve as a decisive moment of reconciliation, reaffirming the underlying themes of family and unity in the franchise.

Now that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has returned to the Fast Saga, Fast and Furious 11 needs to include an epic fight between Johnson and Vin Diesel. In the high-octane world of the Fast and Furious franchise, the thrill of fast cars and heart-stopping action has always been amplified by the magnetic on-screen chemistry between its stars. However, a real-life feud between The Rock and Vin Diesel has been brewing since 2016. Director Louis Leterrier achieved the impossible by bringing The Rock back into the fold. Now, he must find a way to reunite Luke Hobbs and Dominic Toretto on-screen.

Ever since Fate of the Furious, the void left by The Rock’s absence has grown more conspicuous. The actor’s feud with Vin Diesel has cast a shadow over the franchise, making it increasingly difficult for the writers and directors to craft a cohesive narrative. As Fast Saga fans await the next installment, all eyes are on Leterrier to weave a compelling story that not only showcases jaw-dropping action but also offers a chance for Hobbs and Dom to partake in an epic showdown.

Hobbs & Dom Fighting In Fast & Furious 11 Would Bring Their Arc Full Circle
Vin Diesel's Dom confronts Dwayne Johnson's Hobbs in Fast Five

Fast X and Fast and Furious 11 act as sequels to Fast Five in many ways, so it makes perfect sense for the upcoming installment to build on the fight scene between Dom and Hobbs from Fast Five. The clash between the two powerhouse characters left an indelible mark on fans. Revisiting that epic confrontation could elevate the adrenaline-fueled action and add a layer of nostalgia to Fast and Furious 11. Now that Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has had a change of heart and returned to the Fast Saga, the anticipation for a rematch between his and Vin Diesel’s characters has reached a fever pitch.

Dom and Hobbs’ showdown in Fast Five was a game-changer for the franchise, propelling it to new heights with its intensity and raw energy. Given the unresolved tension between the two stars in real life, a meticulously crafted fight scene in Fast 11 has the potential to invigorate the climax of the series and provide a cathartic experience for the actors and fans alike. As Fast 11 may be the final chapter in the Fast and Furious universe, all eyes are on this anticipated clash. Hopefully, a brotherly fight will be the defining moment that brings harmony back to the Fast Saga family.

The Rock & Vin Diesel Can Put Their Feud To Rest On Screen
Hobbs holding on to Dom in Fast and Furious 5

Vin Diesel and The Rock’s personal history adds a layer of complexity to any potential fight between their characters in Fast and Furious 11. Given their real-life feud, it’s unlikely either actor would be portrayed as the clear winner or loser. Moreover, from a storytelling perspective, it would be counterproductive to have Dom excessively harm or kill Hobbs or vice versa. However, as the series approaches its potential end, a showdown between Dom and Hobbs could serve as a decisive moment of reconciliation. After all, throughout the Fast and Furious films, audiences have witnessed a recurring pattern of men engaging in physical conflicts before eventually forming unbreakable bonds.

For instance, Fast and Furious sees Dom and Brian’s tumultuous relationship evolve into a deep brotherly connection after a series of knock-down, drag-out fights. This same sort of understanding between Dom and Hobbs would reaffirm the underlying themes of reconciliation and family that have contributed to the franchise’s enduring popularity. By embracing the notion that they are, in a sense, brothers, Dom and Hobbs could mend their on-screen relationship and deliver a broader message of unity. This would ultimately give fans a satisfying conclusion to their relationship in Fast and Furious 11.

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Vin Diesel Posts Paul Walker Tribute On 10th Anniversary Of His Death

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Vin Diesel shares a touching tribute to Paul Walker 10 years after the actor’s tragic death on November 30, 2013. Diesel expresses that “more smiles manage to break through the tears” as years pass because he knows his bond with Walker will be stronger than ever when they eventually reunite. Walker’s character, Brian O’Connor, remains alive in the world of Fast and Furious, and Diesel has previously teased that the franchise won’t end without a proper farewell to Brian and Walker.

Fast and Furious star Vin Diesel takes to social media to share a touching tribute to Paul Walker, 10 years after the actor’s death. First released in 2001, the debut installment in the long-running Fast and Furious franchise introduces Diesel as Dominic Toretto and Walker as Brian O’Connor. Both characters would return for a number of sequels, but Walker tragically passed away on November 30, 2013, during the production of Furious 7.

Now, on the 10th anniversary of Walker’s passing, Diesel has shared a touching tribute post on Instagram to honor his late Fast and Furious costar. Check out the actor’s emotional post below:

Accompanying an image of Walker with one of his daughters, Diesel reminisces about an important lesson learned from the late actor and how his legacy still lives on today. Diesel’s full caption is included below:

I was listening to a song this morning…‘That Lucky Old Sun’… thought of you, racing around Heaven all day. Hahaha…
The family of the Mourning, feels like it has grown since a decade ago… feel’s like that experience of losing someone is far too common today. Leaving more and more of us in search for meaning, trying to make sense of this complex existence…
Oh, I have finally understood what you use to do with the phone, “phone Fasting”… you had the insight to turn off your phone for long stretches of time. I started this year to do just that. You used to say, Vin and I can go years without talking, and our brotherhood will always be stronger than we left it, the ones who truly love you will always be there.
Amen to that.
This is one of my favorite images ever taken… You knew how proud I was when my daughter, the Alpha Angel, your niece would play the piano… well last night she was playing Moonlight Sonata… it took me back to the night before she was born. Me and you were working late… you were telling me that the best moment in life would be witnessing my child being born. That priceless smile you had when I told you the next day that I had cut the umbilical cord…
The next song she started playing on the piano is by an artist you would have loved, named Billie Eilish, ‘What was I made for’… when she started to play, the other angels all came and joined her at the piano and they started singing… wow…emotions… angels, I know you were listening.
After ten years… I know these days of beautiful remembrance will be filled with tears. But as time rolls on, with each year that passes… more smiles manage to break through the tears. Cause I know, when I see you again… our brotherhood will be stronger than we left it.
Miss you.

Will Brian Be Seen Again In Fast & Furious?
Furious 7 Reveals How Paul Walker’s Character Can Return
CGI Paul Walker in Furious 7.

Walker’s death in November 2013 came with a great deal of sadness, but it also created problems for the Furious 7 production, which was about halfway done. It was ultimately decided that Walker’s remaining scenes would be completed with a digital recreation of the actor, with his two brothers, Cody and Caleb Walker, serving as body doubles. Although Walker may have passed away, Brian remains alive and well within the world of the films, though he has not been seen in the flesh since Furious 7’s emotional ending.

The closet audiences have come to seeing Brian again (outside of the flashbacks featured in Fast X) is at the end of F9: The Fast Saga, when the character’s iconic Nissan Skyline pulls up at Dom’s house. This summer’s Fast X supposedly sets up the conclusion of the franchise in an 11th and potentially 12th installment (in addition to the announced Dwayne Johnson Luke Hobbs spinoff movie), and it’s very likely that the final movie will see Brian return in some capacity.

Diesel has also essentially teased as much, telling Total Film (via GamesRadar) earlier this year: “I couldn’t imagine this saga ending without truly saying goodbye to Brian O’Conner.” It’s unclear if this will mean a substantial digital recreation of the actor for extended portions of the film or a quick cameo at the very end, but it seems like audiences haven’t seen the last of Brian just yet. Even in death, Walker remains a key pillar of Fast and Furious, and it’s fitting that the final film will feature another heartfelt goodbye to further honor the late actor.

Source: Vin Diesel/ Instagram

Fast and Furious 11 temp poster

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All 4 Fast & Furious Heroes Who Stayed Dead (& Which One Is Most Likely To Return)

Summary

Fast & Furious franchise is known for bringing back dead characters, but there are a few heroes who have remained dead. Jack Toretto, Dom’s father, died in a racing accident and his death should not be undone in the franchise. Jesse, a member of Dom’s crew, was killed in a drive-by shooting, while Vince was killed during an ambush. Elena, Dom’s love interest, was killed by the villain Cipher.

The Fast & Furious franchise has brought many characters back from the dead, but a handful of its heroes have remained killed off after their demise. The Fast Saga has taken its characters on a wild ride from street racing to the most outlandish adventures possible. The running theme of the Fast & Furious franchise has long been family, with Dominic Toretto (Vin Diesel) building quite a large family indeed over the course of the Fast Saga’s run.

On top of its embrace of ridiculous, superhuman feats as a staple of its action scenes, the Fast & Furious movies are also well known for bringing back seemingly dead characters for more missions. The returns of Sung Kang’s Han in F9 and Gal Gadot’s Gisele Yashar in Fast X would be especially noteworthy in emphasizing the notion that no Fast & Furious death is irreversible. However, that is not entirely true, as there have been a few Fast & Furious heroes who have died and never come back.

RELATED: 10 Fast & Furious Characters Who Must Return In New Hobbs Spinoff

4 Jack Toretto
An image of Jack Toretto driving a car in F9

Jack Toretto (J.D. Pardo) is the father of Dom, Mia (Jordana Brewster), and Jakob Toretto (John Cena), and is first seen in a flashback to 1989 in F9. Jack is a highly skilled race car driver who instilled that talent in his children, with Dom and Jakob being part of his racing pit crew. However, Jack’s racing career took a tragic turn when his car malfunctioned and crashed, killing him. Dom later beat his father’s racing opponent, Kenny Linder (Jim Parrack), almost to death with a wrench, believing him responsible for his father’s demise.

This tragedy also led to Dom and Jakob falling out, with Dom later coming to believe that Jakob set up their father’s death since he was the last one to work on his car. However, Jack was intentionally attempting to throw the race in order to get his family out of debt. He had asked Jakob to help tinker with his car so that it would fail, with Jack’s death being unintentional on both their parts. While his return has been theorized by fans, of all the characters killed off in Fast & Furious, Jack Toretto’s death should never be retconned.

3 Jesse
Jesse in The Fast and the Furious pic

One of the early members of Dom’s family in the original The Fast and the Furious, Jesse (Chad Lindberg) was the brains of Dom’s crew in his enterprise of stealing DVD players. Jesse went on the run after losing a street race to Dom’s rival, Johnny Tran (Rick Yune), having bet his MK3 Volkswagen Jetta in the race. Jesse was later killed outside of Dom’s house when Johnny Tran and his associate Lance Nguyen (Reggie Lee) arrived and performed a drive-by shooting. Dom and Brian O’Conner (Paul Walker) then chased down Johnny Tran and Lance Nguyen to avenge their fallen friend.

2 Vince
fast and furious 5 vince

Vince (Matt Schulze) was another member of Dom’s crew in The Fast & the Furious, and he was badly injured during a truck heist in that first movie. After his recovery, Vince fled to Rio de Janeiro where he later reunited with Dom and family in Fast Five. Despite Vince having settled down with a wife and a baby son, he agreed to join Dom’s daring heist of Rio’s most feared crime boss Hernan Reyes (Joaquim de Almeida). Unfortunately, Vince was killed during an ambush by Reyes’s team. After successfully pulling off the heist, Dom left Vince’s intended share of the money with his wife and son.

1 Elena
Elena Neves walks with her gun drawn by a car

Elena Neves (Elsa Pataky) worked alongside Luke Hobbs (Dwayne Johnson) in apprehending Dom and his crew in Fast Five. She and Dom gradually developed feelings for each other, however, and departed for Spain with Dom at the end of the movie. After Dom learned that his wife Letty Ortiz (Michelle Rodriguez) was still alive despite her apparent death in Fast & Furious, Dom and Elena had an amicable split, only for it to later be revealed that Elena is the mother of Dom’s son in The Fate of the Furious.

RELATED: How (& Where) To Watch The Fast & Furious Movies In Order By Release Date & Chronologically

After Elena was killed by the villainous Cipher (Charlize Theron), Dom and Letty raised the boy together, with the two naming him Brian after Brian O’Conner. Meanwhile, Dom later met Elena’s sister Isabel (Daniela Melchior), who joined Dom’s crew in Fast X. While Elena remains deceased as of Fast X, the arrival of her sister Isabel and Fast & Furious’s habit of not truly killing off characters makes her the most likely thought-to-be-dead hero to potentially return as the franchise speeds towards its finale.

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