Jungle Cruise star Edgar Ramirez has said he hopes the cinema experience can evolve and survive in the streaming landscape because it is “a beautiful, collective experience”.
The actor, best known for his roles in The Undoing, The Assassination Of Gianni Versace and the Point Break remake, will next be seen in the big budget Disney epic, based on the Jungle Cruise theme park ride at Disneyland.
The film is the latest Disney blockbuster that will have a dual release in cinemas and on streaming service Disney+.
It follows villain origin story Cruella and Marvel film Black Widow, which were also made available on Disney+ with Premier Access, which requires an additional fee, at the same time they were released in cinemas.
Ramirez, who stars opposite Dwayne Johnson and Emily Blunt in the film, told the PA news agency: “What is beautiful about cinema, and I hope that it evolves and it doesn’t disappear, because it’s a beautiful, collective experience, is that you share it with people that you don’t know.
“And I think that’s also magical, to be able to share such intimate moments with people that we don’t know,
“I think that is a beautiful experience.
“However, I think that we are seeing changes, and change is inevitable, and the impact of technology and the changes that technology also impose on taste, and the way we interact with content, that is also inevitable.
“So I just think that we are heading towards an evolution in the consumption of content, that still allows us to have a beautiful experience and a beautiful collective experience.”
Asked about the comparisons between Jungle Cruise and Pirates Of The Caribbean, Venezuelan star Ramirez said: “Those are movies that I love and big adventure Disney films are something that I grew up with, and of course I always wanted to be part of one.
“And when my friend Jaume (Collet-Serra), our director, invited me to do this, along with Emily and Dwayne and the rest of the beautiful cast that we have, it was a no brainer.
“I really love movies and all type of movies, and I love adventures and I do believe I try everyday to protect and to foster the inner child, I think that is very, very important.
“I don’t want to get jaded or too mature to feel that the magic doesn’t exist.
“And I experience that quite a lot through my work.
“I mean, making movies is magic.
“And in a movie, like Jungle Cruise, it is pure magic, and it’s mystical, and it’s big and it has so many exciting elements and surprises.”
He added: “I really hope that, that when people when people go and watch this movie, they will experience the same excitement that I personally felt while making this movie.”
Jungle Cruise is released in UK cinemas and on Disney+ with Premier Access on July 30.