It’s been five years since the release of Jumanji: The Next Level. The fourth instalment of the Jumanji franchise had a budget in the region of $125 million and eventually grossed an impressive $801.7 million globally. This cemented Jumanji: The Next Level as the tenth best-grossing movie of 2019.
Although it didn’t quite beat the figures achieved by 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which grossed $995.3 million worldwide, it performed well enough to suggest that a fifth instalment would be in the offing.
Jumanji: An enduring movie franchise
The Jumanji franchise has cemented itself in popular culture since the original’s release in 1995 starring the late, great Robin Williams. Many elements of popular culture have been inspired by the Jumanji series. Board games have been created based on the movie’s iconic board game discovered in the attic.
Even online slot games have been conceived, with the board game dynamic used as part of its bonus features. The licensed Jumanji slot is listed as one of the most popular slots for those who play FanDuel Casino games. This daily fantasy sports-turned-iGaming behemoth has a thriving online casino brimming with pop culture classics like Jumanji, Baywatch, and Bill & Ted’s Excellent Adventure.
With Jumanji still an enchanting movie theme in the eyes of millennials and Gen Z viewers, it’s somewhat disappointing to find out that developments toward Jumanji 5 have been slow to say the least.
Scheduling could be the major stumbling block for producers
In a recent interview, Karen Gillan admitted she had no idea as to when the fifth instalment of the franchise would be shot. Gillan, who played a starring role as Ruby Roundhouse in the last two releases, revealed to The Hollywood Reporter that no updates have been announced regarding the production of a fifth movie.
Gillan acknowledged that it’s “tricky” to work the production around “everyone’s schedules” but she did insist that it would happen at “some point”. Gillan said she and the rest of the cast remain “so enthusiastic” about the prospect of breathing new life into the franchise. The schedule of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson could be one of the biggest issues for producers this year. Johnson has been in production for a new festive movie slated for release this winter alongside Chris Evans, titled Red One.
Jake Kasdan, director of the last two Jumanji movies, admitted in April 2020 that he and the cast were already in discussions over a fifth instalment before the pandemic curbed their progress.
Likely cast members for a fifth Jumanji instalment
All the indications are that the cast for Jumanji’s fifth release will be the same as those who appeared in Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level. Director, Kasdan, previously described his current cast as the “foundation” of where the Jumanji franchise is headed.
This includes a host of up-and-coming movie stars, such as Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser-Darius Blain, and Morgan Turner. Meanwhile the likes of Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Danny DeVito are sure-fire additions to maintain the authenticity of the next instalment.