Jumanji 4 could be released sooner than anticipated

Long-time fans of the Jumanji movie franchise should buckle up and get ready for the fourth ride of the now-iconic series if reports are to be believed. Jumanji 4 was canned because of the pandemic, but the sequel to 2019’s Jumanji: Next Level could rear its head sometime in 2022 with timelines for its production said to have been defined.

Although the cast – including the likes of Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson, Kevin Hart and Jack Black – are said to have busy schedules, its producer Hiram Garcia intimated that the third modern-day iteration of the Jumanji franchise is being readied “to take it to Sony”. In a recent interview with ComicBook.com, Garcia described the concept of a fourth outright Jumanji movie to be a “really fun pitch”.

Garcia said the team has a “big vision” for the fourth Jumanji release and the entire production team is “fired up” to bring their pitch to life. Garcia said the end goal for Jumanji 4 is “sometime after” the film Red One is directed by Jake Kasdan, with Garcia eyeing him for a third successive Jumanji movie.

The Jumanji franchise remains highly relevant in the entertainment scene

Talk of a fourth Jumanji is hot off the back of the release of a new video game on PC and mobile. Jumanji: The Curse Returns was released last month, developed by Marmalade Games, taking players on a four-person journey through the board game. It can either be played co-operatively with other human players or with the game’s AI. The game contains a string of mini-games inspired by aspects of the 1995 original.

The original Jumanji movie has provided plenty of inspiration in the gaming industry aside from the latest release, with NetEnt developing a fully licensed Jumanji slot game for online casino operators back in June 2018. The slot dynamics are inspired heavily by the board game theme, with players able to roll dice and move around the board to land instant wins, additional rolls and extra bonus features. Although it’s been three years since its launch, it’s still hugely popular with slot players and remains a featured title at BetVictor Casino, which was recently listed as one of the top 10 online slots sites in 2021.

Will a new cast for Jumanji 4 capture the imagination again?

The Jumanji franchise has long held a proud reputation for its big-name cast. The 1995 original featured the late Robin Williams, as well as Kirsten Dunst and Jonathan Hyde. Williams in particular made his mark on the franchise, as well as his fellow cast members. The likes of Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black and Kevin Hart are all huge stars on the Hollywood scene and more could be set to follow in Jumanji 4. Donald Glover and legend Danny DeVito are slated to be the latest names to join the Jumanji family.

Producer Garcia urged long-time fans of the Jumanji franchise to “be patient” for the fourth release, with the team “very focused” on ensuring the crew can “knock it out of the park” when bringing the cast “back together for a third time”. Garcia said that he is working in close collaboration with director Kasdan as well as partner Matt Tolmach to “expand on [the] Jumanji story”.