Back in August, Sony Pictures issued release dates for a number of high-profile projects, all set to hit theaters between 2016 and 2017. One of those movies is their Jumanji remake, which has been in development for several years, with Zach Helm coming aboard to write the script back in 2012. Today, Deadline reports that the studio has hired screenwriter Scott Rosenberg (Con Air) to rewrite the script in hopes that it makes its announced holiday release next year.

The remake is said to be a high priority for the studio, described as a "re-imagination" of the original 1995 blockbuster Jumanji, which starred Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt and Bebe Neuwirth. The original movie was spawned from the board game and book by writer Chris Van Allsburg (The Polar Express, Zathura). The movie earned a whopping $262.7 million worldwide at the box office, from a $65 million production budget.

Jumanji will hit theaters on Christmas Day 2016, which puts it up against Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children, starring Kim Dickens, Eva Green, Samuel L. Jackson and Asa Butterfield. Matthew Tolmach and William Teitler are set to produce, although the project doesn't have a director attached at this time. It isn't known how much this "re-imagined" story will change from the original movie, but it seems likely that the story will still center on a board game that comes to life.

Jeff Pinkner, who co-created CBS' summer TV series Zoo with Scott Rosenberg, André Nemec and Josh Appelbaum are coming aboard to consult on the script with Scott Rosenberg. Ted Field and Mike Weber are serving as executive producers. It isn't known when production may begin, but it will probably be sooner rather than later, given its release date. That will likely all depend on how quickly Scott Rosenberg can get the script done.

Scott Rosenberg's other writing credits include Things to Do in Denver When You're Dead, Beautiful Girls, Con Air, Disturbing Behavior, High Fidelity, Gone in Sixty Seconds, Impostor and Kangaroo Jack. In recent years, he's spent most of his time working on the small screen, writing for October Road, Life on Mars and Happy Town. Are you happy the Jumanji remake is finally happening?