As you’d expect from someone who labeled themselves as ‘Franchise Viagra’, Dwayne Johnson is no stranger to a multi-film series or two. In fact, not only did he anoint himself with the interesting and very self-confident moniker, but he then went on to back it up after every property he boarded experienced a significant uptick in box office takings as a direct result of his involvement.
However, despite The Rock’s propensity for effects-driven blockbusters, the official announcement that a Jungle Cruise sequel is in active development marks a major career first for the 49-year-old. For the first time ever, ‘Franchise Viagra’ is building one of his own from the ground up.
The Scorpion King, Fast Five, Journey 2: The Mysterious Island, G.I. Joe: Retaliation and Jumanji: The Next Level were all part of pre-existing properties that started without him, while those planned sequels to Rampage, San Andreas and Baywatch never materialized, so Jungle Cruise is his maiden sequel to a first installment that he actually starred in.
Of course, he’s got Netflix’s Red Notice, the DCEU’s Black Adam and Amazon’s Red One all on the horizon so this could just be the first of many, but it’s fascinating to realize that the highest-paid and most popular star in the industry would be two decades into his film career before he managed to get in on his own franchise at the first floor.
