Jumanji 4 producer hints at a great story idea in place for the franchise's long-awaited sequel. The still untitled Jumanji 4 is the third installment in the new trilogy, but technically the fourth Jumanji film, following the original film starring Robin Williams in 1995, which was based on the book of the same name. That adventure movie told the story of a brother and sister who play a board game set in the jungle that then magically comes to life and unleashes wild animals to wreak havoc in the real world.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, a sequel to Jumanji, released 22 years after the first film and with a star-studded cast led by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan. The film was a surprise hit and a second sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, came soon after in 2019. The reboot films strayed from the original Jumanji book and film, instead telling the story of four high school friends who get drawn into a magical video game and must survive the game in order to escape. While a fourth installment has been announced, audiences have been hanging onto their seats since the last film, wondering when Jumanji 4 will happen.
According to Collider, Jumanji producer Hiram Garcia confirms that a third film is indeed still in the works. He explained that the project has been put on hold temporarily due to the current schedule demands of both director Jake Kasdan and Dwayne Johnson, who have been busy working on upcoming holiday film Red One, set to come out in 2023. Garcia also reassures Jumanji fans that they have an exciting new concept in mind for the next installment of the highly successful reboot trilogy.
“'Jumanji’ is definitely going to happen. Obviously Jake Kasdan is directing ‘Red One’ [upcoming Prime Video holiday movie], so right now he’s working on that. But we have a ton of ‘Jumanji’ conversations. We actually have a great take on what we’re going to do for the next movie. So I know in talking with Jake, once he comes clear of ‘Red One’, that’s going to be his next priority for him and that’s something we definitely want to make.”
What Could Jumanji 4's Story Be?
Jumanji fans will find Garcia's enthusiasm over the upcoming sequel promising. Jumanji: The Next Level 's mid-credits scene shows a heater repair man innocently discover the Jumanji game in one of the teens' basement, quickly followed by a scene of ostriches stampeding down the street. The setup teased by this mid-credits scene is more like the wild events of the first Jumanji, where the jungle escaped the game. This could be the "great take" that Garcia alludes to, and Jumanji 4 may find not just the jungle of the Jumanji video game spilling over into reality, but the game's playable characters, too.
Garcia's comments imply that the creative team behind the first two Jumanji reboot films are committed to making an excellent follow-up film with the right people and right concept, even though it means taking a few years longer than viewers would like to get there. Audiences may need to wait a little longer before seeing the continuation of the jungle fantasy adventure, but they can rest assured that Jumanji 4 is coming, and the driving force behind it is already excited about this one.
Source:Collider