The Jumanji franchise has figured out a way to carry on its legacy while also expanding on the mythology for more movies. Decades ago, when audiences watched the first Jumanji movie, very few probably predicted that it would go on to create one of the best sci-fi franchises in the modern age. But a few things happened that increased the profile of the series, starting with the movie Zathura, which branched Jumanji out of the jungle and into outer space. It’s hard to believe that Zathura turns 20 years old in 2025, a fact that we had to bring up to Kristen Stewart when speaking with her on behalf of her latest movie – also a sci-fi experiment – titled Love Me.
Of course, when you hear the name Kristen Stewart, you probably think of her performance as Bella in The Twilight Saga, or your mind drifts to the numerous arthouse dramas she has been part of over the years. But before she fell in love with the sparkly vampires, Stewart played Lisa, the bratty older sister of the board game playing kids in Jon Favreau’s Jumanji spinoff, Zathura. Kristen Stewart had been in a handful of big movies up to that point, including David Fincher’s Panic Room opposite Jodie Foster (released in 2002). But when she looked back on Zathura, and her experience filming it, she had nothing but love, telling CinemaBlend in an exclusive interview:
Oh, I love John Favreau. And Josh Hutcherson. Like, that movie was stacked, if you think about it. We were all little. Yeah, when I think about that movie, I think it was the only time I ever shot on a studio lot. Uh, second time. But it was so fun. It was like make believe to the largest degree. It was kind of scary. I had to laugh sometimes. It was a comedy. I was a budding teenager, and so I was definitely not like, easily laughing, you know? But it was so fun. I love that crew so much. I also love Jumanji. I love that world. I love the idea of the board game sucking you in.
I think the industry was still trying to figure out how to use Kristen Stewart in roles when she played Lisa in Zathura. It’s not the most pivotal role. Jonah Bobo and Josh Hutcherson play the young boys who activate the game, and they are joined on the adventure by Dax Shepard, playing a rogue astronaut. You’ll also see Tim Robbins as the family’s dad.
You might recall that Stewart has the unfortunate fate of being frozen in the movie. Here’s a clip, to refresh your memory:
Instead of asking the young actress to pose like a frozen statue, the crew made a “frozen” model of Kristen Stewart. So in our interview, I asked her which she found more disturbing: The cryogenically frozen Lisa, or the avatar characters she voices in the new movie Love Me. With a laugh, Stewart told CinemaBlend:
No, that frozen . . . what was her name? Lisa? I have a brain. It exists. I remember everything! (But) our avatars with the little onesie suits? I like those guys. I think maybe the frozen teenager is disturbing me, in my own memory.
It would be very cool if Sony Pictures did something to commemorate the anniversary of Zathura, or even did what we asked them to do years ago and connect the current Jumanji franchise – starring The Rock and Kevin Hart – to Zathura in some meaningful way. Heck, Dax Shepard is more popular now than he was 20 years ago. Bringing his astronaut character back to the big screen for another Jumanji adventure would boost the nostalgia, while also bringing in a different audience. Heck, get Kristen Stewart involved somehow. As she says, she’s a huge fan of the series!
At the moment, we know that a fourth Jumanji movie set in the world of The Rock’s series is dated for release on December 11, 2026, though we don’t know a lot of details beyond that. Maybe more news will surface as we get closer to Zathura’s anniversary. Stay tuned.
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