As anyone who’s been following the news regarding upcoming 2025 movies will tell you, it’s never too early to think about the future. That much seems to be true over at Sony Pictures, as the studio has just announced a long awaited fourth installment of a massive blockbuster franchise.
No, I’m not talking about fellow 2026 release Spider-Man 4, but rather the third legacy-quel in the Jumanji series, which now has a release date for those who seek to find it. The studio announced a December 11, 2026 release date for what it’s calling Jumanji 3.
But, of course, anyone who’s a fan of the initial adaptation of Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s book will tell you that this is actually the fourth chapter. Presumably this new adventure will focus on the motley crew that sees Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan’s video game avatars romping through adventure and excitement yet again.
Of course, that assumption could be wrong, as Jumanji: The Next Level’s truly wild ending left the door open to some real world consequences. As director Jake Kasdan’s 2019 sequel revealed in a mid-credits scene, more threads from Jumanji past are being woven into the future. That’s thanks to Aunt Nora (Bebe Neuwirth), a legacy character from the first Jumanji, being shown as a bar owner who has a bit of deja vu.
Thanks to a stampede of wild animals that have no reason to be in our world, the Frasier alum's character was probably hearing those ominous drums that signal the game's presence. So that’s further reason to keep referring to this untitled project as Jumanji 4, and may be an indicator that Neuwirth could be returning; potentially to be a random adult that gets trapped in the video game incarnation of the classic board game of doom.
If the 2026 movie schedule is any indication, Jumanji’s latest chapter is going to need that sort of legacy buzz in order to stay alive at the movie market. That’s because a week later, on December 18th, 2026, is the release date to Denis Villeneuve’s “untitled event movie” which some are convinced is a going to turn out to be Dune: Messiah.
Should that be the case, Jumanji 4’s release date in-between the next two Avatar sequels won’t matter, as it’s already set to compete with an unknown upcoming Star Wars movie penciled in for release on the same day as Paul Atredies’ potential third coming. I don't care what is waiting in the jungles of Jumanji this time around, sandworms and the bestiary of that galaxy far, far away are nothing to mess with.
We shall see what sort of adventure digitizes into theaters soon enough, as Jumanji 4 will head to the movies on December 11, 2026. However, if you want to catch up with Dr. Smoulder Bravestone and his associates, you can catch both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level on streaming. You won’t need to roll a five or eight, but you will need a Hulu subscription if you want to level up your knowledge of the franchise.
