Jumanji 4 suffered various delays over the years. Because of this, while the movie seemed like a safe bet at first, fans are starting to wonder if it will actually happen.
The original Jumanji movie was directed by Joe Johnston. It starred Robin Williams as the unlucky Alan Parrish, who discovers a strange-looking board game and finds himself dragged into a terrifying jungle world after a losing streak. When two kids, played by Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce, pick up the game decades later and bring Alan back, it's up to the three of them to restore the balance and finish the game once and for all.
Jake Kasdan's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle updated this premise by turning Jumanji into a video game, trapping four mismatched teenagers inside and giving them avatar bodies, each with unique abilities. Jumanji: The Next Level hit theaters in 2019 following the success of the first film.
Box Office Success Guarantees Jumanji 4
Jumanji 4 is still in the early stages of development, but it looks like, even if fans have to wait a few years, they will see a new movie in the franchise. In this line, the president of Seven Bucks Production, Hiram Garcia, confirmed that the conversations around the fourth film are "100%" happening.
This makes sense considering Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level became hits for Sony. One of the biggest parts of the success was its all-star cast, which features the acting talents of Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. The movies in the franchise combine action and comedy with heart, which is not often seen on the big screen these days.
That combination was key, and they did tremendously well at the box office, with Jumanji: The Next Level earning a worldwide gross of $800.1 million. With these figures, it is clear that Sony is first interested in keeping the franchise alive.
Jumanji 4 Will Be Released in a Few Years
Two years passed between the releases of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level. Both films were released on the big screen in mid-December 2017 and 2019, respectively. However, it is clear that Jumanji 4 will surpass that mark. The pandemic is largely to blame for this delay, but it is not the only reason.
The actors involved in the project are focused on other titles, most notably franchise leader Dwayne Johnson. Having recently appeared in Netflix's Red Notice and Disney's Jungle Cruise, both of which have sequels in the works, Johnson has also been shooting the DC movie Black Adam and has the Christmas action flick Red One gearing up to shoot for Amazon Studios. Karen Gillan has also been attached to quite a few projects and is currently attached to Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 3 for Marvel.
Despite this, in an interview with Collider, Hiram Garcia confirmed that plans for Jumanji 4 were still in the works, promising that "it's going to happen. It's going to happen for sure. We have a great vision for the new Jumanji movie. We were discussing the launch the other day. We're bringing it to Sony shortly."
For her part, Karen Gillan also confirmed that Jumanji 4 will be made, although she didn't know when. Therefore, we can conclude that, although the sequel is a confirmed future project for all those involved, they still don’t have a specific date to start filming.
Jumanji 4 Will Keep Its All-Star Cast
Despite the different projects keeping the Jumanji 4 cast busy, fans can look forward to their return for a new movie in their favorite franchise. Johnson will be busy for a while, but he's the franchise's leader, and he's a very notorious figure ensuring success for Sony, so it's unlikely a new Jumanji movie will be made without him.
The same goes for the charismatic stars who bring to life the other main characters of the first film (Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart). The team formed by all of them is one of the bases for the franchise's success. No studio would risk taking them out and putting together a new team when the movie series is so far along.
With that in mind, fans can also take comfort in the teen cast: Madison Iseman as Bethany, Alex Wolff as Spencer, Morgan Turner as Martha, and Ser'Darius Blain as Fridge. Nick Jonas' seaplane McDonough (and his real-world counterpart, Colin Hanks' Alex) had a minor role in Jumanji: The Next Level but could return for Jumanji 4, as could Awkwafina's new character Ming Fleetfoot. Alongside them, the franchise must craft a new villain and possibly some new characters as well.
Jumanji 4’s Story Will Be Ambitious
Exact details about the plot for Jumanji 4 are not yet known, but if fans look at the mid-credits scene of Jumanji: The Next Level, they might find a clue. In the scene, Spencer's mother (Marin Hinkle) and a heating mechanic are accidentally sucked into the game, releasing some jungle animals into the real world.
Although the scene ends there, it leaves in the air the possibility that the characters and avatars also escaped from the game. After two films of various characters inhabiting Jumanji avatars, it would be interesting if the next film put a twist on the story and revealed the avatars’ real personalities.
Only time will tell if Jumanji 4 will dare to give such a twist to the adventures of the characters, but what is clear is that the film is happening -- although there is no definite date for it -- and it doesn’t seem that Sony is going to change its mind anytime soon.