Jumanji is an American media franchise, based on the children's book Jumanji (1981) and its sequel Zathura (2002), written by Chris Van Allsburg. The first film was produced by TriStar Pictures, and subsequent films by Columbia Pictures, both subsidiaries of Sony Pictures. The franchise follows the adventures of various people who find themselves imperiled when playing an enchanted game that comes with a variety of dangerous elements that the players must survive as they play. Ultimately, the only way to end the disruptions is to finish the game while enduring its dangers.
The franchise includes the films Jumanji (1995), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) and an animated television series which aired from 1996 to 1999. An untitled sequel to The Next Level has been announced as releasing on December 11, 2026.[2] The first film received mixed reviews from critics, while the three follow-up films received positive critical response. The films have grossed $2 billion collectively at the global box office.
Two children, Peter and Judy, find and play a game in which each roll of the dice brings the jungle from the game (as well as the creatures that live in it) to life around them. In order to reset the world around them, they must finish the game and make it to the titular city of gold. Afterward, they get rid of the game which is found by their next-door neighbors, two young brothers.
Zathura (2002)
Brothers Danny and Walter, neighbors of Peter and Judy from the previous book, find Jumanji but ultimately choose not to play it. Instead, they find a similar game on the same board with a space theme, Zathura, which they begin to play. As with Jumanji, playing Zathura brings elements of the game into reality, and in order to set everything back to normal, the boys must complete the game.
Two children find and play a magical board game. In doing so, they release a man trapped for decades in the game and a host of dangers from the jungle that can only be stopped by finishing the game.
Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing. Furthermore, the brothers surmise the only way to return home is to finish the game.
Though there are no direct references to Jumanji in Zathura: A Space Adventure and the movie's plot is self-contained, the studio marketed it as being set within the same fictional universe, and is thematically similar to the other franchise installments. The film is based on the children's book Zathura, also written by Van Allsburg, which was a sequel to the Jumanji novel. Despite the film's placement within the same fictional universe, director Jon Favreau discourages the notion that the film is a direct sequel, having not particularly liked Jumanji.[5]
Twenty-two years after the events of the original film, the board game has magically become a video game. Four high school teenagers are transported to the game's jungle setting and become the avatars of the characters they chose, and later discover another victim trapped in the game as well. The only way out is to complete the game and in doing so, they each discover the best of themselves and win with a newfound heroism to see the challenge through. The film served as a sequel to the 1995 film.
The team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own but discover that nothing is as they expect. The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world's most dangerous game.
Untitled Jumanji: The Next Level sequel (2026)
In December 2019, Dwayne Johnson revealed that the next installment in the franchise would reveal that the villain from The Next Level, Jurgen the Brutal, was an avatar in the game and that the identity of the player controlling him would be explored.[6]
In March 2020, Jake Kasdan confirmed early developments for a follow-up film.[7][8] Kasdan confirmed plans to maintain the core cast of the previous two films.[9] The following month, the filmmaker stated that the story for the next installment was in development.[10] It was later reported that the follow-up film was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[11] In October 2022, producer Hiram Garcia stated that Kasdan will prioritize the next Jumanji movie, following the completion of his directorial responsibilities on Red One (2024).[12] In March 2023, cast member Kevin Hart indicated that the film currently in development would be the final film in the series.[13] In October 2024, it was announced that it would release on December 11, 2026.[14][15]
Fujishoji released a Pachinko game in 2007, using clips from the film and also 3D rendered CGI anime character designs for the game as part of the screen interaction.[35]
Jumanji: The Mobile Game (2017)
Jumanji: The Mobile Game was a mobile game based on the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle developed by Idiocracy Games and published by NHN Entertainment, and released for Android and iOS on December 14, 2017.[36][37] The game was removed from Google Play and App Store on May 2, 2018, and became unplayable on May 24.[38]
Jumanji: The VR Adventure (2018)
Jumanji: The VR Adventure was a virtual reality experience based on the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Developed by MWM Immersive and published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, it was released on Steam for HTC Vive on January 17, 2018.[39] Although it was announced that the experience would be released on Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR,[40] the releases were canceled, as the game was heavily criticized for its poor graphics and hardware performance.[41] It was delisted from Steam on February 9, 2018.[39]
Jumanji: The Video Game (2019)
Jumanji: The Video Game is an action-adventure video game developed by Funsolve and published by Outright Games. Based on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, it was released on November 8, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.[42]
Jumanji: Wild Adventures (2023)
Jumanji: Wild Adventures is an action-adventure video game developed by Cradle Games and published by Outright Games. It was released on November 3, 2023, for PlayStation 5, Nintendo Switch, PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Microsoft Windows, Xbox Series X and Series S.
Notes
^In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Van Pelt has a different first name depending on the region in which the film is watched. In the UK version of the film, the character's first name is given as "John Hardin", while in the US version of the film, the character is provided the first name "Russell".
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