We need to clear something up. Ever since it was announced, moviegoers have used the word "reboot" to describe the upcoming Jumanji movie with Kevin Hart and Dwayne Johnson. All evidence has pointed to that type of overall narrative, and that's what we've generally assumed the film would bring. Oh how wrong we were, folks. The Rock recently took to social media to clear up any misconceptions about the story of the upcoming Jumanji, and he makes it very clear that Robin Williams' 1995 classic remains in continuity. He specifically said:
And now in two weeks I'll reunite with ol' friends Kevin Hart & Jack Black and we have the honor to introduce a whole new generation to the amazing world of #JUMANJI. *(for the record we are NOT making a reboot, but rather a continuation of the awesome JUMANJI story).
That's about as clear as an actor's Instagram post can get.
Dwayne "put me in your franchise" Johnson posted the above quote to his public profile in order to update his fans on the current status of the upcoming Jumanji film, and it's something that should make fans of the original quite happy. It looks like The Rock, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black will soon get together for a Jumanji film that doesn't reboot the entire franchise; they will apparently keep the events of the 1995 film in continuity and simply depict a new adventure following a new set of heroes as they enter the mysterious world of the magical board game. That's one less remake we have to worry about.
It's most certainly worth noting that the upcoming version of Jumanji seems to buck the current film industry norm. Instead of utilizing a typical "reboot from the ground up" formula, the film will take the Jumanji narrative and simply continue it from the original 1995 version with Robin Williams. Most modern updates of classic properties seem intent on starting fresh with full-blown "reboots" of a given universe (see: Ghostbusters), and as such Jumanji actually feels like a breath of fresh air for being closer to a sequel than a remake.
Of course, we still have to admit that this doesn't get us any closer to truly knowing anything about the upcoming update of Jumanji. Sure, it won't be a remake of the original, but the immense differences in comedic style between Robin Williams and the headlining trio of the sequel means that the new Jumanji probably still won't resemble the original in any meaningful way.
Check out The Rock's full Instagram post below:
Cinema Blend will bring you any and all relevant details related to the upcoming continuation of the Jumanji narrative as more information becomes available. It's been over two decades since we last visited the world, and it's definitely time to play again. Jumanji is currently slated to hit theaters on July 28, 2017. Stay tuned for more details.
