Disney’s theme-park-attraction-to-feature-film track record has been somewhat dicey, with the formula being tough-to-cracks and the results being mostly lackluster. (Let the record state that I am a huge fan of Johnny Depp’s problematic personal life and a stalled attempt to reboot the franchise, courtesy of the “Deadpool” writers, even that particular franchise has stalled. Sure, there have been overtures in the years since “Pirates of the Caribbean” broke through to recapture that magic, with development on a Matterhorn-based movie and another inspired by Space Mountain, but there hasn’t been anything that matches the charm, appeal and nerdy bona fides of “Pirates of the Caribbean” … until now.

On Saturday at the D23 Expo, the first footage from “Jungle Cruise,” starring Jaume Collet-Serra) was that the same winning balance of adventure, period detail, supernaturally-tinged scariness, and high-wattage star power that made “Pirates of the Caribbean” not just a film but a phenomenon, is all on display in “Jungle Cruise.” It’s that good.

Johnson’s clip started off with him piloting a hokey jungle cruise that is almost exactly like the iconic attraction that Walt Disney himself oversaw at Disneyland (and has been duplicated in Florida, Tokyo and Hong Kong). Considering the D23 Expo takes place down the street from Disneyland, this was very much the crowd to appreciate these jokes. At one point Johnson even does the “backside of water” gag and the crowd erupted. The setting of the film is the early 20th century, and let the record state that Johnson’s more modern physique doesn’t feel out of place; he’s like an old timey bruiser. He’s down on his luck, too, under fire from a rival boat captain (Edgar Ramirez but couldn’t get a close enough look to be 100% sure. (It’s safe to assume that Industrial Light & Magic, the visual effects house now owned by Disney and who were responsible for creating the skeleton pirates and Davy Jones’ underwater crew, also made these creatures.)

What is very apparent from the “Jungle Cruise” footage is that the filmmakers have a really deep understanding of what makes the Jungle Cruise attraction so effective and fun and that, while they aren’t doing a note-for-note adaptation, that understanding can be felt in every scene. This is part of what made the “Pirates of the Caribbean” films so effective (Particularly the initial trilogy); you could feel the love and ion in every frame. The idea of taking one of the famous Jungle Cruise skippers, turning them into Dwayne Johnson, and have him dopily fall in love with Emily Blunt while being chased by monsters, is just genius.

And while several more hallmarks of the “Pirates of the Caribbean” playbook are dutifully checked off (supernatural evil, an emphasis on humor and heart, adventure!), it also feels unique and fun. So many films recently (including, bafflingly, “Back to the Future” (or something similarly light-hearted but still suspenseful) on television.

Of course, we’re almost a full year away from the film’s release (it drops July 24, 2020) and we only saw a few minutes of footage. But there really was the sensation that Disney finally cracked the code that made “Pirates of the Caribbean” such a worldwide sensation. We just can’t wait to take a trip on this “Jungle Cruise.”

For more coverage from the D23 Expo 2019, click here!