The Jewel of the Nile

The Jewel of the Nile continues the story of romance novelist Joan Wilder and adventurer Jack Colton, first paired in Romancing the Stone. Now wealthy and drifting on their boat, the two have grown restless with each other and with their idle life. Joan accepts an invitation from a Middle Eastern ruler who wants her to write his biography, but the arrangement turns out to be a trap, and she is taken captive. Jack sets out to rescue her, joined by the scheming Ralph, and the search draws the trio into desert chases and a struggle over a prized jewel.

Lewis Teague directed the film, the sixth in the directing career listed for him and the second of two features he made in 1985, following Cat's Eye. Lawrence Konner and Mark Rosenthal wrote the screenplay, and Michael Douglas produced as well as returning as Jack opposite Kathleen Turner's Joan. Danny DeVito reappears as Ralph, with Spiros Focás, Avner Eisenberg and Paul David Magid among the credited cast of thirty-five.

Made for about 25 million dollars, the film took roughly 97 million dollars worldwide, a strong return. Audiences rate it modestly, at 6.1 out of 10 on IMDb from around 66,000 votes and 6.2 out of 10 on TMDB from far fewer. A critics' rating of 4.9 out of 10 from 28 reviews places it below the audience scores.