You’d have to be living on Mars for the last month not to be aware there’s a new film on release called “Jungle Cruise” starring Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt, who are two of today’s biggest and busiest movie stars.

Dwayne, in particular, is one of the few actors who can (in Hollywood parlance) “Open” a film, meaning his name on the posters is practically a guarantee that the film will attract an audience.

But who knows for how long Dwayne and Emily (now there’s an odd combination of names!) will remain box office attractions?

The film-going public are very fickle and as each generation decides which films they go to see in the cinema, purchase on DVD or stream at home, the popularity of even the biggest stars can wane…or ‘Dwayne’ in Johnson’s case!

I was thinking about this the other night while watching a Bruce Willis film on one of the more obscure digital channels.

I won’t tell you the title because I don’t want you suffering through it like I had to, but the fact it was barely three years old, had never had a British cinema release and had been dumped into the late-night schedules was far more interesting than the film itself.

For Bruce was once someone who could “Open” a film, just as before him, Arnold Schwarzenegger and Sylvester Stallone were able to.

Further proof of the public’s fickleness is that Marvel & DC superhero films have been making millions at the box office in the last decade or so, yet their fans loyalty is to the characters and not the actors who play them.
Plus there has to be lots of action and explosions!

As “Jungle Cruise” is based on a Disney theme park ride, as were the lucrative “Pirates of the Caribbean” films, I’m writing a script based on a very popular ride at many fairgrounds including the ones at Porthcawl and Barry Island.

So, if I can find the finance to get the first one made (naturally there’ll be a load of sequels) there’s every chance that the big summer blockbuster of 2023 will be…. “DODGEMS – THE MOVIE!”