Jumanji: The Next Level was another hit at the box office for Sony Pictures and a sequel is on the way. Here’s what we know so far about Jumanji 4.
Anticipation for Jumanji 4 is as high as ever — here’s what to expect. Jumanji: The Next Level came roaring into theaters in 2019 following the success of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, 2017’s sequel/reboot to 1995’s Jumanji. Fans can likely look forward to another game since The Next Level teased as much in its mid-credits scene. Jumanji 4 is still in the very early stages of development, but all signs point to Sony Pictures being keen to keep this franchise going with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan all expected to return.
The original Jumanji movie was directed by Joe Johnston and starred Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, who discovers a strange-looking board game and is pulled into a terrifying jungle world after a bad roll. Jake Kasdan’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle updated this premise by turning Jumanji into a video game. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level grew to be hits for Sony because of their all-star casts and fun reinvention of the 1990s classic. Both movies blend action and comedy with genuine heart, and they did enormously well at the box office, ensuring Jumanji 4 was on the way.
Jumanji 4: Latest News
While there is no news on the production, there is at least a partial explanation of why Jumanji 4 is taking so long. Producer Hiram Garcia revealed that the movie has been held up as Dwayne Johnson and director Jake Kasdan finish their work on the upcoming holiday adventure movie Red One (via MovieWeb). Garcia confirms that once that movie is wrapped, Kasdan will begin production on Jumanji 4. He also teased that they have an exciting idea for the take for the next movie.
Jumanji 4 Is Confirmed
Along with seeds being planted for the next movie in Jumanji: The Next Level, various people involved with the production have confirmed that Jumanji 4 is on the way. Dwayne Johnson was the first to hint at ties between the third and fourth movies. Jake Kasdan then went on to confirm the movie was in development in March 2020. In November 2022, producer Hiram Garcia revealed that the movie would begin production following Jake Kasdan and Dwayne Johnson’s current production on Red One.
Jumanji 4: Release Date
Right now, we don’t have a confirmed release date for the next Jumanji movie or any concrete information about when it’ll be filmed.
The previous two movies – Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level – both received December releases (December 20, 2017, and December 13, 2019) and since that worked well for them at the box office, we imagine a similar date for the next movie.
December 2023 feels too tight a turnaround for a movie that likely won’t start filming until early 2023, so maybe December 2024 will be the release for the new movie if they want to keep to the festive release window.
Like Kevin Hart spoke about in June 2021, Karen Gillan told fans in August 2022 that the long wait has been a result of the cast being very in-demand. “It’s hard to get everyone’s schedules aligned! But we are all very excited to make another one,” she said.
Who’s coming back for Jumanji 4?
A big part of the success of the new movies has been Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart and Jack Black, so we’d be amazed if they weren’t back as their in-game Jumanji characters.
The end of The Next Level (more on that in a bit) means that they might not play as large of a role, but it’s hard to picture a sequel without them.
We doubt they’ll have much trouble convincing the original stars to return. “I assume they’ll make one and I don’t know how they’re gonna tackle that. But I hope they make another one because it’s so much fun,” Gillan told in July 2021.
They’ll be joined by Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain and Morgan Turner as the unlucky players, and they could be joined again by Danny DeVito as Spencer’s (Wolff) grandfather Eddie.
Danny Glover could also return as Eddie’s friend Milo, but at the end of The Next Level, he chooses to stay in the game as Cyclone the flying horse.
Other likely returns include Nick Jonas and Awkwafina as the other Jumanji avatars Jefferson ‘Seaplane’ McDonough and Ming Fleetfoot, respectively, as well as Colin Hanks as Alex Vreeke.
Could we also see Bebe Neuwirth again as Nora Shepherd? She reprised her role from the original movie for a fun scene at the end of The Next Level, so we hope she’s back for another game.
