Paul Giamatti says he originally wanted a monkey as his companion instead of a parrot. Giamatti says he wanted a monkey that would light his character’s cigars, but he recognized that it’s a Disney movie, so he wouldn’t be allowed to smoke cigars. He also adds that monkeys are difficult to deal with, so having a monkey companion was turned down. They ultimately decided on a bird as his companion, which Giamatti was happy with.
Jungle Cruise is expected to hit Disney+ at the same time as theaters. You can use this link to sign up for the streaming service.