Based on the book of the same name, the original Jumanji movie from the 90s was one of the most iconic and popular movies of all time. The film starred Robin Williams and a young Kirsten Dunst, telling the story of a board game that could suck you into its world. Due to the popularity, in 2017, a sequel starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black, and Kevin Hart was released.
This film, instead of making Jumanji a board game, like the first, made it a video game and saw a group of teenagers get sucked into it. The film was a smash hit and helped introduce a whole new audience to the Jumanji world, while also bringing a unique new spin to the franchise as a whole.
Shared A Filming Location With Jurassic World
One of the most iconic scenes in the Jurassic World movie of 2015 showed the main cast being chased across an open plain by a selection of dinosaurs. Eagle-eyed cinema-goers would have also recognized this open plain making an appearance in Welcome to the Jungle.
Fans would’ve noticed that the scene in which the main cast are chased by bikers was filmed in the same location, Kualoa Ranch in Hawaii, as Jurassic World.
Dwayne Johnson Pitched The Name ‘Smolder’
One of the most memorable and funny moments in the movie is Dr. Bravestone’s smoldering gaze. However, what is even more interesting is that the idea of giving Dr. Bravestone the name ‘Smolder’ was Dwayne Johnson’s idea.
The Rock suggested this idea over text with producer Jake Kasden, who knew it was incredible, immediately upon reading it.
Karen Gillan’s Extensive Stunt Work
Welcome to the Jungle is one of the most fun and enjoyable action movies of the past decade, with the film masterfully and seamlessly combining comedic, action, and adventure themes.
While many might assume that, being the action star he is, the Rock had to prepare for his role extensively, it was actually Ruby Roundhouse’s Karen Gillan who had the most extensive preparation for her role, with the Scottish actress having to learn martial arts for the film.
Shailene Woodley Was Set To Appear
It isn’t unusual for movies to have to recast roles, with certain factors influencing whether or not an actor will be able to continue portraying a certain character throughout the entirety of the production.
An example of this was Shailene Woodley. Initially, Woodley was set to take the part of Ruby Roundhouse for the movie, but ultimately had to bow out due to scheduling issues.
Uncharted Connections
Uncharted is one of the most popular video game franchises of the past decade, drawing on elements that made Tomb Raider and Indiana Jones popular, whilst also bringing a more modern flair to its games.
What is interesting to note is that Welcome to the Jungle also took inspiration from Uncharted, with a poster for the fourth game being seen in Spencer’s room, as well as the Uncharted composer, Henry Jackman, also offering his talents for Welcome to the Jungle.
Tomb Raider Inspirations
Tomb Raider is one of the most iconic video game characters of all time. It comes as no surprise, then, that Ruby Roundhouse’s costume was, in part, inspired by Lara Croft’s own costume in the original Tomb Raider games.
While some criticized Ruby Roundhouse’s costume for being too revealing, Karen Gillan defended the costume design, saying that it's overly revealing nature was an intentional homage to the games of the time.
Tom Holland Was Originally Set To Appear
Similarly to Shailene Woodley, who was set to star as Ruby Roundhouse before Karen Gillan would ultimately replace her in the part, Tom Holland was also set to appear as Seaplane McDonough.
However, due to scheduling conflicts with Spider-Man: Homecoming, the British actor had to leave the project, with Nick Jonas ultimately taking over the role.
Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart’s Chemistry
Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart have one of the most entertaining relationships in Hollywood today. The two actors have starred in several movies with each other and clearly have a close bond, with several chat show appearances showing the banter between the pair.
The entertaining dynamic between Johnson’s Bravestone and Hart’s Finbar was so good, according to Dwayne Johnson, because of their off-screen chemistry.
Jack Black’s Character Preparation
Jack Black is one of the best comedy actors in Hollywood, with the actor starring in some of the most memorable and iconic comedy movies of the past several decades. His appearance in Welcome to the Jungle only adds another arrow to his quiver of hilarious comedy movies.
In order to prepare for his role in the film, Black had to get into the mind of a teenage girl, so he talked to Madison Iseman, listened to her selection of music, and watched TV shows and movies she recommended.
Wizard Of Oz Themes
The Wizard of Oz has some strange connections with Jumanji. In the first movie, the monkeys from Jumanji show interest in a TV, after seeing the monkeys from The Wizard of Oz on the screens.
Another nod to The Wizard of Oz can be seen in Welcome to the Jungle, with musical notes from Somewhere Over the Rainbow mixed into the score for the movie.