Jumanji: The Next Level is going to be a very different movie than 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, namely because different characters will be inhabiting some of the avatars in the game this time around. One thing that won’t be changing too much, however, is Karen Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse avatar, who will still be rocking the short shorts in the new movie. Apparently, the actress doesn’t mind too much.
In fact, according to Gillan’s stunt double, Jahnel Curfman, the two ladies who rock the shorts on set almost see them as a badge of honor of sorts. They kept them in shape during the making of Jumanji: The Next Level and led to some bonding between the actress and the stunt double, even. Per Curfman:
I went in for my fitting and I was like, ‘Karen, I swear these shorts are shorter this year. Both of us, we bitch and complain about that costume but I think Karen and I both really love wearing it. It’s a lot of fun. We put a lot of work into it, into diet and exercise and training to make that costume look good. It is pretty badass.
When Jahnel Curfman and Karen Gillan signed on for the role of Ruby Roundhouse, they knew what they were getting into. The character is supposed to be like a stereotypical male fantasy video game character who wears skimpy outfits while doing badass things, including dance fighting. Although, in some ways I’d presume wearing the skimpy outfit while doing things like running, jumping and dancing, made the gig more challenging.
It’s nice that Jahnel Curfman and Karen Gillan seem to have kept the costume real on the set of the new movie, at least according to her comments to Showbiz CheatSheet. And they both rock the over-the-top outfit well and with good humor, as you can see below.
But Why Are The Short Shorts Even Being Brought Up Now?
I know 2017 may feel like a long time ago, but if you can somehow can manage to reach back into your mind about the mindset before Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle became a monster hit, you may remember myriad comments about Ruby Roundhouse’s short shorts. There were thinkpieces written about them prior to the release of the movie. They honestly caused a lot of talk ahead of release.
In fact, as can be seen throughout the first movie and in promos for this movie, Ruby Roundhouse’s costume is ridiculous. It’s not just the short shorts. She’s wearing them with impractical boots and a half shirt, which puts the focus on her abs. In short, filming scenes in the jungle was likely bug-ridden and icky and she probably had to watch what she was eating the whole time.
It's not my idea of a comfortable costume at all. Then again, Karen Gillan’s gone through anywhere between 2 and 5 hours of makeup to play Nebula in the Marvel Cinematic Universe. I’d guess short shorts seems like nothing in comparison.
However, back when the revamp was coming out, Karen Gillan had already filmed the movie and knew what was coming. She even asked fans to stop freaking out about the costume, not only because she was the one that had to wear it and be committed to it, but also because there was a reason her costume looked like that. The movie was trying to be funny about the retro nature of the video game and how female video game characters, particularly in the past, really sold a lot of copies by putting its female characters into tight costumes. It wasn't glorifying those costumes in any way.
Why Karen Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse Kicks Ass In Short Shorts
Jumanji: The Next Level and Welcome to the Jungle are pretty tongue-in-cheek about the whole short shorts male fantasy, which is impractical on every level for anyone who has ever been hiking and needs to avoid things like plants, ticks and all manner of bugs, not to mention avoiding dirt or scraping your legs on whatever. Ruby Roundhouse’s inhabitor, Young Martha, acknowledges how ridiculous the outfit is throughout the first movie.
I thought the subplot was kind of funny, but it's been clear not everyone did, because we're still talking about it two years later. The fact is though, whether or not you thought the short shorts joke was funny, given Ruby Roundhouse is a video game character, the joke is going to need to carry into the second movie, because we've seen in the trailer that it looks like those involved in the flick will be sucked into the same game.
Although Karen Gillan and her stunt double's look won’t change much this time around, other franchise actor Jack Black has been quoted as saying there will be some changes to Ruby Roundhouse in the new movie, although he’s keeping his secrets for now.
Also, I should say that Karen is kicking ass in the new Jumanji. Your character has evolved and now you’ve got more stuff and rad stuff to do this time. I can’t say what, because that would be spoiler alerts.
Jahnel Curfman also says there will be new stunts as well, some of them including wire work. So, whether or not you’re a fan of Ruby Roundhouse’s short shorts look, there should be a lot to look forward to when Jumanji: The Next Level hits theaters. Thankfully, that’s happening soon-ish.
Jumanji: The Next Level will compete against the likes of Cats, Little Women and Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker when it hits theaters during the holiday season. None of these movies are super similar and it will be interesting to see how they will ultimately compete and whether the box office will be able to pick up after a sluggish summer. In fact, Sony has been optimistic about the movie competing with the final Star Wars flick in the trilogy, although it is certainly worth pointing out Jumanji: The Next Level will not be opening on the same weekend as Episode IX. In fact, it'll hit theaters earlier, on December 13. See what else has yet to come out in 2019 with our movie release schedule.
