Next Jumanji Film Set to be Final Offering in Reboot Trilogy
The rebooted Jumanji series has been immensely popular, and fans are desperate for another outing in the modern retelling of the classic board-game-based movie. There has long been talk of a follow-up to 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level, with director Jake Kasdan confirming that it was in early development back in 2020.
In a recent interview, Kevin Hart said that the next installment would likely close the book on this new version of Jumanji with the current cast. That makes sense and could allow the franchise to expand in new ways.
Jumanji Reboots Have Been Hugely Successful
As a money-making opportunity, it’s a wise move for Columbia Pictures to keep the Jumanji franchise alive. The recent rebooted pictures have been amazingly successful at the box office, with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level earning $995 million and $801 million, respectively. It will be highly profitable if another installment gets close to these figures.
Part of the reason why the new Jumanji pictures have been so successful is thanks to the incredible marketing around them. The films were propped up by the wide array of related games that helped spread the word about the films to different audiences.
For instance, there was Jumanji: The Video Game for console players and Jumanji: Epic Run for mobile users. There was also the Jumanji slot game, which is still regarded as one of the top-rated online casino slots on the market. With the iconic font of the film title as the centerpiece of the thumbnail, this jungle-themed online casino offering has allowed players in other areas of the entertainment sector to enjoy the franchise. Unsurprisingly, the impact of the latest film reboot has only contributed to the success of these gaming products.
Hart Indicates That Next Film Will Be Last
According to Hart in a recent interview, the next installment of the much-loved franchise will be the last outing for the current crop of actors. The hugely popular comedy actor discussed his many collaborations with Dwayne Johnson to date and noted that the two friends want to do something big that acts as the final chapter of their on-screen pairing.
A new Jumanji picture would be able to achieve this, but it would have to be a definitive ending to the current version of the franchise so that the two actors can go out with a bang. This also makes sense, as any more movies could risk flogging a dead horse.
The concept of franchise fatigue is real, and a series often needs significant changes to keep engaging viewers. It will be hard for a new picture to top its predecessors, as both pictures have been highly innovative. There are big questions about what surprises, if any, the writers have left up their sleeves.
It will be great to see Hart and Johnson team up again for another Jumanji offering, but it’s disheartening that it could be the last in the series. However, this is probably for the best, as it will be hard for further sequels to keep the fresh and innovative ideas up.
