Dwayne Johnson confirms the developmental process is well-underway on Jumanji 3. Sony took a bit of a risk a few years back by announcing a Jumanji sequel/reboot was coming. There was a growing fatigue and negativity surrounding any reboots, and with The Rock attached, it had one of Hollywood's most prolific stars. They also planted it just a few weeks after Star Wars: The Last Jedi, a release date that would've sunk most movies. Instead, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle exceeded every expectation and was one of last year's most enjoyable blockbusters.

The feeling of satisfaction it left audience with was proven time and time again as Welcome to the Jungle climbed the box office charts. It has now became Sony's biggest movie ever domestically, and is nearing $1 billion worldwide - even though it's already available on Blu-ray. That's why it came as no surprise when reports surfaced that a sequel being in the works; something that the film's star and producer has now confirmed to be true.

Related: What Karen Gillan Wants to See in Jumanji 3

Johnson took to Instagram to bask in the glory of Welcome to the Jungle's record breaking success, but also get the interest in the sequel going. In the video below, Johnson confirms that they are hard at work on Jumanji 3. What exactly the third movie could be has yet to be revealed, but Johnson continued his friendly rivalry with co-star Kevin Hart by saying his character Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar will be killed off.

A sequel to Welcome to the Jungle was widely expected to be on the way, despite the lack of details thus far. Director Jake Kasdan and writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg are returning for Jumanji 3, so the film will hopefully have a story as creative as that for Welcome to the Jungle. Now that Johnson's confirmed plans for the sequel, we can safely assume that he will be reprising his role as Dr. Smolder Bravestone too.

Johnson shouldn't be the only one to return though. Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black can all return, and possibly Nick Jonas too. It will be interesting to see if the younger cast members return too, or if the sequel follows new kids who get sucked into the Jumanji game. If there are any new avatars that inhabit Jumanji, the Welcome to the Jungle cast already told us who they want to see in Jumanji 3.

Jumanji 3 is clearly in the early stages of development, but Sony chairman Tom Rothman reportedly already has plans for Jumanji 3 to hit theaters by next Christmas. Whether or not that can be done remains to be seen as Johnson has one of the busiest schedules in Hollywood. He'll be filming Jungle Cruise this summer and then his Fast & Furious spinoff in the fall. Johnson also believes Black Adam will film next year, as will Red Notice in order to make its 2020 date. So, if Sony does indeed want Jumanji 3 in theaters within two years' time, then they will have to hope Johnson can fit the project into his schedule somewhere in either late 2018 or early 2019.

MORE: Jumanji's Insane Motorcycle Stunt Wasn't CGI

Source: Dwayne Johnson