Jumanji (franchise)
Jumanji is an American media franchise, based on the children's book Jumanji (1981) and its sequel Zathura (2002), written by Chris Van Allsburg. The first film was produced by TriStar Pictures, and subsequent films by Columbia Pictures, both subsidiaries of Sony Pictures. The franchise follows the adventures of various people who find themselves imperiled when playing an enchanted game that comes with a variety of dangerous jungle elements that the players must survive as they play. Ultimately, the only way to end the disruptions is to finish the game while enduring its dangers.
| Jumanji | |
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.png.webp) The current logo of the franchise | |
| Created by | Chris Van Allsburg |
| Original work | Jumanji (1981) |
| Owner | Books: Houghton Mifflin Harcourt Films: Sony Pictures Entertainment |
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| Films and television | |
| Film(s) |
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| Animated series | Jumanji (1996–1999) |
| Games | |
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| Audio | |
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The franchise includes the films Jumanji (1995), Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), Jumanji: The Next Level (2019), and an animated television series which aired from 1996 to 1999. The first film received mixed reviews from critics, while the three follow-up films received positive critical response. The films have grossed $2 billion collectively at the global box office.
Origin
Jumanji (1981)
Two children, Peter and Judy, find and play a game in which each roll of the dice brings the jungle from the game (as well as the creatures that live in it) to life around them. In order to reset the world around them, they must finish the game and make it to the titular city of gold. Afterward, they get rid of the game which is found by their next-door neighbors, two young brothers.
Zathura (2002)
Brothers Danny and Walter, neighbors of Peter and Judy from the previous book, find Jumanji but ultimately choose not to play it. Instead, they find a similar game on the same board with a space theme, Zathura, which they begin to play. As with Jumanji, playing Zathura brings elements of the game into reality, and in order to set everything back to normal, the boys must complete the game.
Films
Jumanji (1995)
Two children find and play a magical board game. In doing so, they release a man trapped for decades in its inner dimension and a host of dangers from the jungle that can only be stopped by finishing the game.
Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005)
Two young brothers are drawn into an intergalactic adventure when their house is hurled through the depths of space by the magical board game they are playing. Furthermore, the brothers surmise the only way to return home is to finish the game.
Though there are no direct references to Jumanji in Zathura: A Space Adventure and the movie's plot is self-contained, the studio marketed it as being set within the same fictional universe, and is thematically similar to the other franchise installments. The film is based on the children's book Zathura, also written by Van Allsburg, which was a sequel to the Jumanji novel. Despite the film's placement within the same fictional universe, director Jon Favreau discouraged the notion that the film is a sequel, having not particularly liked Jumanji.[1]
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Twenty-two years after the events of the original film, the board game has magically become a video game. Four high school teenagers are transported to the game's jungle setting and become the avatars of the characters they chose, and later discover another victim trapped in the game as well. The only way out is to complete the game and in doing so, they each discover the best of themselves and win with a newfound heroism to see the challenge through. The film served as a sequel to the 1995 film.
Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
The team of friends return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own but discover that nothing is as they expect. The players need to brave parts unknown, from arid deserts to snowy mountains, in order to escape the world's most dangerous game.
Untitled Jumanji: The Next Level sequel
In December 2019, Dwayne Johnson revealed that the next installment in the franchise would reveal that the villain from The Next Level, Jurgen the Brutal, was an avatar in the game and that the identity of who was playing as the character would be explored.[2]
In March 2020, Jake Kasdan confirmed early developments for a follow-up film.[3][4] Kasdan confirmed plans to maintain the core cast of the previous two films.[5] The following month, the filmmaker stated that the story for the next installment is in development.[6] It is later reported that the follow-up film was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.[7] In October 2022, producer Hiram Garcia stated that Kasdan will not begin production on the next Jumanji movie, following the completing his directorial responsibilities on Red One but Eric Brevig will rework Jumaji as a modern remake of the original one.[8]
| Film | U.S. release date | Director | Screenwriters | Story by | Producers |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumanji | December 15, 1995 | Joe Johnston | Jim Strain, Greg Taylor & Jonathan Hensleigh | Jim Strain, Greg Taylor & Chris Van Allsburg | Scott Kroopf & William Teitler |
| Zathura: A Space Adventure | November 11, 2005 | Jon Favreau | John Kamps & David Koepp | Scott Kroopf, Michael De Luca & William Teitler | |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | December 20, 2017 | Jake Kasdan | Erik Sommers, Jeff Pinkner, Chris McKenna & Scott Rosenberg | Chris McKenna | Matt Tolmach & William Teitler |
| Jumanji: The Next Level | December 13, 2019 | Jake Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner & Scott Rosenberg | Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia, Matt Tolmach & Jake Kasdan | ||
| Untitled Jumanji: The Next Level sequel | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA | TBA |
Television
Jumanji (1996–1999)
Jumanji was an animated television series inspired by the 1995 film which ran for three seasons from 1996 to 1999.
Main cast and characters
This section includes characters who will appear or have appeared in the franchise.
- An empty, dark grey cell indicates the character was not in the film, or that the character's official presence has not yet been confirmed.
- O indicates an older version of the character.
- V indicates a voice-only role.
- Y indicates a younger version of the character.
- A indicates a video game avatar of the character.
| Character | Films | Television | Video game | |||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumanji | Zathura: A Space Adventure |
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle |
Jumanji: The Next Level |
Untitled Jumanji: The Next Level sequel |
Jumanji | Jumanji: The Video Game | ||||
| Season 1 | Season 2 | Season 3 | ||||||||
| Alan Parrish III | Robin Williams Adam Hann-ByrdY |
Bill FagerbakkeV | Bill FagerbakkeV Justin Jon RossVY |
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| Judith "Judy" Shepherd | Kirsten Dunst | Debi DerryberryV | ||||||||
| Peter Shepherd | Bradley Pierce | Ashley JohnsonV | Ashley Johnson Cam ClarkeOV |
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| Sarah Whittle | Bonnie Hunt Laura Bell BundyY |
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| Professor Van Pelt[lower-alpha 1] | Jonathan Hyde | Bobby Cannavale | Sherman HowardV | |||||||
| Walter Budwing The Astronaut |
Josh Hutcherson Dax SheppardO |
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| Daniel "Danny" Budwing | Jonah Bobo | |||||||||
| Lisa Budwing | Kristen Stewart | |||||||||
| Mr. Budwing | Tim Robbins | |||||||||
| the Robot | Frank OzV | |||||||||
| Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone | Dwayne JohnsonA | Dwayne JohnsonA Zachary TzegaegbeAY |
Dwayne JohnsonA | Andrew Morgado | ||||||
| Franklin "Mouse" Finbar | Kevin HartA | TBA | Phil LaMarr | |||||||
| Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon | Jack BlackA | Mick Wingert | ||||||||
| Ruby Roundhouse "Killer of Men" |
Karen GillanA | Anna Graves | ||||||||
| Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough | Nick JonasA | |||||||||
| Spencer Gilpin | Alex Wolff | |||||||||
| Anthony "Fridge" Johnson | Ser'Darius Blain | |||||||||
| Bethany Walker | Madison Iseman | |||||||||
| Martha Kaply | Morgan Turner | |||||||||
| Alexander "Alex" Vreeke | Colin Hanks Mason GussioneY |
Colin Hanks | ||||||||
| Eddie Gilpin | Danny DeVito | |||||||||
| Milo Walker | Danny Glover | |||||||||
| Ming Fleetfoot | AwkwafinaA | |||||||||
| Jurgen the Brutal | Rory McCann | |||||||||
| Nora Shepherd | Bebe Neuwirth | Bebe NeuwirthC | Melanie ChartoffV | |||||||
| Carl Bentley | David Alan Grier | Richard AllenV | ||||||||
| Samuel "Sam" Parrish | Jonathan Hyde | |||||||||
| Carol Parrish | Patricia Clarkson | |||||||||
| Exterminator | James Handy | |||||||||
| Nigel Billingsley | Rhys Darby | Rhys Darby | ||||||||
| Janice Gilpin | Marin Hinkle | |||||||||
| Prinicpal Bentley | Marc Evan Jackson | |||||||||
| Mr. Vreeke | Tim Matheson Sean BuxtonY |
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| Bethany Vreeke | Uncredited actress | Madison Johnson | ||||||||
Additional crew and production details
| Film | Crew/detail | ||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Composer | Cinematographer | Editor(s) | Production companies |
Distributor(s) | Running time | ||
| Jumanji | James Horner | Thomas E. Ackerman | Robert Dalva | Teitler Films TriStar Pictures Interscope Communications |
Sony Pictures Releasing | 104 minutes | |
| Zathura: A Space Adventure |
John Debney | Guillermo Navarro | Dan Lebental | Teitler Films Radar Pictures Columbia Pictures Jon Favreau Films Michael De Luca Productions |
101 minutes | ||
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle |
Henry Jackman | Gyula Pados | Steve Edwards Mark Helfrich |
Radar Pictures Columbia Pictures Seven Bucks Productions Matt Tolmach Productions Sony Pictures Entertainment |
119 minutes | ||
| Jumanji: The Next Level |
Tara Timpone Steve Edwards Mark Helfrich |
Columbia Pictures Hartbeat Productions Seven Bucks Productions Matt Tolmach Productions The Detective Agency Entertainment |
123 minutes | ||||
Reception
Box office performance
| Film | Release date | Box office gross | Budget | Ref. | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| North America | Other territories |
Worldwide | ||||
| Jumanji | December 15, 1995 | $100,499,940 | $162,322,000 | $262,821,940 | $65 million | [9] |
| Zathura: A Space Adventure | November 11, 2005 | $29,258,869 | $35,820,235 | $65,079,104 | $65 million | [10] |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | December 20, 2017 | $404,540,171 | $590,798,946 | $995,339,117 | $90 million | [11] |
| Jumanji: The Next Level | December 13, 2019 | $320,314,960 | $481,378,969 | $801,693,929 | $132 million | [12] |
| Total | $853,498,980 | $1,270,320,150 | $2,124,934,090 | $345 million | ||
Critical and public response
| Film | Critical | Public | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rotten Tomatoes | Metacritic | CinemaScore | PostTrak | |
| Jumanji | 52% (46 reviews)[13] | 39 (18 reviews)[14] | A−[15] | — |
| Zathura: A Space Adventure | 76% (161 reviews)[16] | 67 (30 reviews)[17] | B+[15] | — |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle | 76% (238 reviews)[18] | 58 (44 reviews)[19] | A−[20] | 84%[20] |
| Jumanji: The Next Level | 71% (246 reviews)[21] | 58 (37 reviews)[22] | A−[23] | — |
Music
| Title | U.S. release date | Length | Composer(s) | Label |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jumanji: Original Motion Picture Soundtrack | November 21, 1995 | 51:04 | James Horner | Epic Soundtrax |
| Zathura: A Space Adventure (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | November 22, 2005 | 44:16 | John Debney | Varèse Sarabande |
| Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | December 15, 2017 | 60:00 | Henry Jackman | Sony Masterworks |
| Jumanji: The Next Level (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack) | December 6, 2019 | 61:27 | Sony Classical | |
Video games
- Jumanji: A Jungle Adventure Game Pack (1996): Jumanji: A Jungle Adventure is a video game released exclusively in North America for Microsoft Windows on October 9, 1996.[24] It was developed by Studio Interactive and published by Philips Interactive Media. It contains five different action-arcade-based minigames that are based on popular scenes from the film.[25]
- Zathura (2005)
- Zathura is an action-adventure video game developed by High Voltage Software and published by 2K Games. It was released on November 3, 2005, for PlayStation 2 and Xbox.[26]
- Jumanji (2006)
- Jumanji is a party video game released exclusively in Europe for the PlayStation 2 on 2006, developed by Atomic Planet Entertainment and published by Blast! Entertainment.[27]
- Jumanji (2007)
- Fujishoji released a Pachinko game in 2007, using clips from the film and also 3D rendered CGI anime character designs for the game as part of the screen interaction.[28]
- Jumanji: The Mobile Game (2017): Jumanji: The Mobile Game was a mobile game based on the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle developed by Idiocracy Games and published by NHN Entertainment, and released for Android and iOS on December 14, 2017.[29][30] The game was removed from Google Play and App Store on May 2, 2018, and its service ended on May 24.[31]
- Jumanji: The VR Adventure (2018): Jumanji: The VR Adventure was a virtual reality experience based on the 2017 film Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. Developed by MWM Immersive and published by Sony Pictures Virtual Reality, it was released on Steam for HTC Vive on January 17, 2018.[32] Although it was announced that the experience would be released on Oculus Rift and PlayStation VR,[33] the releases were canceled, as the game was heavily criticized for its poor graphics and hardware performance.[34] It was delisted from Steam on February 9, 2018.[32]
- Jumanji: The Video Game (2019): Jumanji: The Video Game is an action-adventure video game developed by Funsolve and published by Outright Games. Based on Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, it was released on November 8, 2019, for PlayStation 4, Xbox One, Nintendo Switch, and Microsoft Windows.[35]
- Jumanji: Wild Adventures (2023): Jumanji: Wild Adventures is an upcoming action-adventure video game developed by Cradle Games and published by Outright Games.
Notes
- In Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Van Pelt has a different first name depending on the region in which the film is watched. In the UK version of the film, the character's first name is given as "John Hardin", while in the US version of the film, the character is provided the first name "Russell".
References
- Whipp, Glenn (November 12, 2005). "'Zathura' creators shun sequel 'Jumanji' label". The San Diego Union-Tribune. Union-Tribune Publishing Co. Archived from the original on January 3, 2018. Retrieved July 21, 2008.
- Reyes, Mike (2019-12-31). "Dwayne Johnson Reveals Another Jumanji: The Next Level Character Is Actually An Avatar". Cinemablend. Retrieved 2020-01-11.
- "Exc: Jake Kasdan talks Jumanji 3 status & why the franchise is so appealing". www.joblo.com. 20 March 2020.
- "Exclusive Interview – Jumanji: The Next Level director Jake Kasdan talks nods to the 1995 original, the status of Jumanji 4 and more". Flickering Myth. 20 March 2020.
- "Will 'Jumanji 4' Bring Back the Game Cast? Director Jake Kasdan Weighs In". Movieweb. 6 April 2020.
- Nemiroff, Perri (7 April 2020). "Director Jake Kasdan Talks the Status of 'Jumanji 4' & Tricky Franchise Time Travel". Collider.
- Seddon, Dan (8 April 2020). "Jumanji: The Next Level director offers update on a third movie". Digital Spy. Retrieved 27 July 2023.
- Massoto, Erick (October 9, 2022). "'Jungle Cruise 2' and 'Jumanji 3' Updates From Producers Beau Flynn and Hiram Garcia". Collider. Retrieved October 10, 2022.
- "Jumanji". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- "Zathura: A Space Adventure". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved April 26, 2018.
- "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved December 20, 2017.
- "Jumanji: The Next Level". Box Office Mojo. Retrieved March 18, 2020.
- "Jumanji". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved November 29, 2022.
- "Jumanji". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Cinemascore". CinemaScore. Archived from the original on August 9, 2019. Retrieved August 9, 2019.
- "Zathura: A Space Adventure". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 5, 2021.
- "Zathura: A Space Adventure". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 26, 2017). "'Last Jedi' Now At $99M, 'Jumanji' Huge At $72M+; 'All The Money In The World' Opens To $2.6M – Christmas Weekend". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Jumanji: The Next Level". Rotten Tomatoes. Fandango Media. Retrieved October 10, 2021.
- "Jumanji: The Next Level". Metacritic. Fandom, Inc. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- D'Alessandro, Anthony (December 15, 2019). "How Sony Took 'Jumanji' To 'The Next Level' With A $60M+ Opening; 'Richard Jewell' & 'Black Christmas' Earn Lumps Of Coal". Deadline Hollywood. Retrieved May 1, 2022.
- "Jumanji (Game)". Giant Bomb. Retrieved 2019-07-04.
- "Jumanji for Windows 3.x (1996)". MobyGames. Blue Flame Labs. Retrieved 28 December 2017.
- "2K Games Announces Zathura Now Available". GameZone. May 4, 2012. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "Jumanji for PlayStation 2". GameFAQs. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "CR JUMANJI(藤商事)パチンコ図鑑:777(スリーセブン)" (in Japanese). Pachiseven. Archived from the original on January 21, 2020. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "Jumanji: The Mobile Game – Pre-registration Event!". Gamasutra. November 30, 2017. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- Cowley, Ric (December 4, 2017). "NHN Entertainment partners with Sony Pictures on soft-launched Jumanji mobile game tie-in". Pocket Gamer.biz. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "Dear Adventurers, Every journey must come to an end, and unfortunately, we must announce that Jumanji: The Mobile Game service will end on Wednesday, May 24th PDT. We hope that you have enjoyed the time you spent traveling across the jungles, deserts, and marshes in Jumanji. Thank you for playing and supporting our game. Please accept our sincerest apologies that we cannot support the game indefinitely. This isn't a decision that we came to lightly, and we appreciate your understanding. Please note that all In-App Purchases will be locked out starting on May 2nd, 2018 06:00 PM (PDT). See the details below for the closure schedule. Thank you again for playing with us. Sincerely, Hangame". Jumanji: The Mobile Game Facebook page. April 25, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "Jumanji: The VR Adventure". SteamDB. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "Sony Pictures Virtual Reality Partners With Vr Leader Survios To Expand Jumanji Experience To Vr Audiences Worldwide". Sony Pictures Entertainment. January 18, 2018. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- Feltham, Jamie (January 18, 2018). "Sony's Jumanji: The VR Adventure Is Drawing Attention For The Wrong Reasons". UploadVR. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
- "The jungle awaits as new video game based on the successful Jumanji film franchise launches November 15, 2019". Bandai Namco Entertainment Europe. June 4, 2019. Retrieved July 4, 2019.
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