If there's one trend that's ruling film production it's nostalgia. And with properties returning and cleaning up at the box office, it seems like just about any class movie could return for a reboot or long awaited sequel. This year brought us direct sequels like Blade Runner 2049, and there's another nostalgic blockbuster left in the form of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. The new Jumanji film will create its own world, while also giving some subtle nods to the Robin Williams classic. Nick Jonas is playing the mysterious character Alex, and recently revealed the fantastic way he found out he got the part.
I recently had the chance to speak with Nick Jonas in Hawaii, where Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was shot. When I asked him about his relationship to the original film, he revealed how it was actually present when he got the job in the sequel.
I first rented Jumanji in VHS at the Blockbuster in Wyckoff, New Jersey. And watched it three or four times in the first week that I had it. I was a huge fan of Robin Williams, and of this movie. And the day that I got the call that I got the role I was actually on the road, and on my tour bus they were playing Jumanji. So it was kind of serendipitous, the whole thing.
It's like the drums of Jumanji were basically playing in the background of Nick Jonas' life. I can't imagine the tour bus of a hunky pop star like Jonas typically plays classic 90s family movies, so the timing of him landing the job is almost spooky.
Like many millennials his age, Nick Jonas was basically raised on Robin Williams movies like Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji. Because in addition to renting a VHS and watching it on a loop, the classic 1995 movie has also been played non-stop on syndication since. It's likely this type of exposure, as well as Jonas' admitted enthusiasm for the movie, that landed a DVD of the original on his tour bus. And if that wasn't enough, the coincidence that it was literally playing in the background may indicate he was truly meant to land his role in Welcome to the Jungle.
You can check out my conversation with Nick Jonas below.
Nick Jonas' role in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle has been mostly kept under wraps through the blockbuster's marketing. He was absent from the first trailer, and is typically not included in the posters and stills that have been released over the past few months. He eventually made his debut in the second trailer, joining the four teenagers in their quest to beat the game and return to the real world. But one thing is clear: Nick Jonas looks damn good in a pilot's jacket.
You can catch Nick Jonas in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle on December 20th, allowing moviegoers an escape from all the Star Wars hype. In the meantime, check out our 2018 release list to plan your trips to the movies in the New Year.
