It may be my job to keep track of these things, but even I sometimes forgot about upcoming movies. When it comes to movies starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson though, this is a pretty believable occurrence; the man cranks out movies about as frequently as South Africa tries to persecute finance ministers (too soon?). And with Fate of the Furious and the new Baywatch on the horizon, you may have forgotten all about the Jumanji reboot sequel that The Rock was headlining as well.
The last time we heard from the upcoming follow-up to the much beloved 1995 fantasy adventure starring the late Robin Williams was regarding some reports about how the plot – and specifically the magical board game of Jumanji – has been updated for modern times. Those rumours have now been confirmed as Johnson took to the stage at CinemaCon in Las Vegas along with co-stars Jack Black and Karen Gillen – Kevin Hart joined via video call much to the hazing of the rest of the cast – to introduce the first footage for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.
Yes, this new movie is now officially titled Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, so break out the guns and roses! As for the footage itself, THR has a breakdown which confirms earlier reports that the four lead actors are actually playing characters in a new Jumanji video game:
The footage begins with four high schoolers in detention. Their teacher orders them to clean out the basement of the school, and they find an old video game console, which features the game Jumanji. You pick a character, and as the teens learn you are that person in the game … which transports you to a jungle.
One rather nerdy boy is surprised (and rather pleased) to see he’s got the muscles of The Rock. The popular girl in school is horrified to learn she’s got the body of Jack Black.
This confirmation of the video game angle would definitely explain the skimpy costume worn by Karen Gillan’s character. The revealing outfit caused a bit of a stir when it was first revealed, but it’s actually playing straight into video game tropes. As THR notes, a large part of the fun of the movie will be in seeing these actors playing against type, as they are essentially playing kids who then control these bodies – Johnson is playing a nerdy young boy while Black is a pretty popular girl.
There’s no word yet on when or if this footage will actually be made available to the public. If it is, we’ll be sure to bring it to you as soon as possible.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle also stars Nick Jonas, and was directed by Jake Kasdan (Bad Teacher, Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story), son of legendary Star Wars writer Lawrence Kasdan. It is scheduled for release on 22 December.
Last Updated: March 29, 2017
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 08:41
Sounds like they’re going to have fun and games.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 08:48
Sigh, just sigh.
Problem here is, I certainly thought along those lines while reading the article AND if you had not written first…. I might well have
Also, I like this, from Faust Among Equals (Tom Holt) – You can hide but you can’t run
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 08:55
So you’re sighing because I beat you to it? Ha!
Hiding and not running? So THAT’S where Rick and Morty got it from.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 08:56
A) No, sighing because it is a pun AND because you MIGHT have beaten me to it
B) Who knows if Tom Holt came up with it first? Certainly where I first read it, but…….
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 09:02
All i got from that was that I beat you to it.
I won’t rub it in, I’m a gracious winner.
And I’m in a silly good mood, so yes, I know, I’m being very silly.
So silly, in fact, that I might have to go to Camelot.
No wait, that’s a very silly place, I won’t go there.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 09:03
Parliament?
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 09:07
I said I was silly, not stupid.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 08:46
“The revealing outfit caused a bit of a stir when it was first revealed, but it’s actually playing straight into video game tropes” um, so movies and tv shows do not, on their own, do this sort of thing?
Really? Wow. Yes, a bit of sarcasm.
Perhaps,you meant to say, she dresses in way that is meant to make us think of Lara Croft?
AND, I bet nostalgia gets my wife to watch this. She watches very few movies these days.
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 08:54
They felt the need to justify the skimpy outfit.
At least they have that going for them.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 08:55
What going for them?
The skimpy outfit OR that they felt the need to justify it?
Original Heretic
March 29, 2017 at 08:56
The need to justify.
We, as the viewers, have the skimpy outfit going for us.
Pond is always a winner in my book.
Skittle
March 29, 2017 at 08:55
From the media, and the Emma Watson photo shoot debacle, women are damned if they show skin and damned if they don’t. Keep in mind that women are usually the ones doing the damning.
miaau
March 29, 2017 at 08:55
That is also very true.
Complicated.
Captain JJ
March 29, 2017 at 10:01
Let me guess, the black dude is the guide or tracker.
RinceThis
March 29, 2017 at 10:34
Well he is the only one looking scared. Of snakes?
Captain JJ
March 29, 2017 at 10:43
Haha
RinceThis
March 29, 2017 at 10:33
Okay, now I am intrigued.
konfab
March 29, 2017 at 17:08
New Jumanji?
http://i3.kym-cdn.com/entries/icons/original/000/007/784/what-year-is-it-robin-williams.jpg