Jumanji 4 - What We Know So Far
The "Jumanji" series – which spun off of the beloved 1995 Robin Williams vehicle into a series of successful films – features Jack Black, Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan as the physical video game avatars of four teenagers, victims of their own curiosity who are forced to leap into the world of an enchanted game when they test it out while they are stuck together during detention at school.
The teens learn to understand each other in spite of their differences thanks to their shared adventures. In the sequel "Jumanji: The Next Level," they are drawn back into an even higher-stakes battle with the game's main villain, Jurgen the Brutal (Rory McCann), and must share the adventure with the cantankerous Edward "Eddie" Gilpin (Danny DeVito) and Milo Walker (Danny Glover). Thanks to the events of "The Next Level"'s ending, the door was left wide open for a whole new adventure, and now fans will finally be given a chance to watch that adventure unfold.
Who will star in the fourth "Jumanji" film, what will it be about, and when will it come out? Here's what we know so far.
When will Jumanji 4 be released?
According to Screen Rant, "Jumanji 4" was in the earliest stages of development in April 2020, which means that it will likely take at least a couple of years to get the movie up and running. While vague storyline ideas have been floated by the movie's producers, to get from the writing stage to the final production stage for "Jumanji: The Next Level" (the film franchise's third edition) took about two years.
It's likely, therefore, that we might not see a fourth Jumanji film until 2024 at the earliest if pre and post-production go smoothly and there are no further delays caused by the Covid-19 pandemic. It will also depend on the availability of the film's stars. Dwayne Johnson, for example, is as of press time filming "Black Adam" for Warner Brothers, a shoot that began in April. He will also likely make appearances in the second season of "Young Rock," an NBC sitcom based on his life in which he stars as himself. It's likely a fourth Jumanji film's shooting schedule would have to take into account any other projects launched by the film's stars.
Who will star in Jumanji 4?
No negotiations have taken place thus far, so it's hard to say who would show up in the fourth Jumanji movie as a new character or guest star.
However, for plot reasons alone, it's likely that Hart, Johnson, Black, and Gillan would all return to continue their roles as the video game avatars Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon, Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone, Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, and Ruby Roundhouse, respectively. Awkwafina would also likely return as Ming Fleetfoot. Nick Jonas could be back as Seaplane McDonough (and Colin Hanks as Alex, the game avatar's player). As for the kids who jump into those avatar's bodies, Alex Wolff (Spencer Gilpin), Ser'Darius Blain (Anthony "Fridge" Johnson), Morgan Turner (Martha Kaply), and Madison Iseman (Bethany Walker) have all played their roles across the two previous movies, and it's likely the characters would reappear in a fourth film.
Rory McCann might also return as Jurgen the Brutal for reasons that will be addressed later. As for other characters – and cameo appearances from people who appeared in the original Jumanji – their participation has not been settled.
"You know, we're always having conversations, and that's a family, that entire group if there's ever been. It's hard to imagine or remember a time I've been on a set where it's just a beloved group of cast and crew and actors and that's just one of those things where we know we have a really big idea that we want to do with it. We've been discussing it," co-producer Hiram Garcia, President of Production at Seven Bucks Productions, told ComicBooks.com in March in regard to conversations with the cast in regard to a fourth "Jumanji" film.
What will Jumanji 4 be about?
Hiram Garcia, one of the film's co-producers, said during a ComicBook.com interview that progress is being made toward the creation of a story for "Jumanji 4," but the plotline is still under wraps as of press time.
"There's conversations have been going we're in the process of moving that along," Garcia told the outlet. "I can't tell you anything, but we do have big plans for it and that's one of our favorite projects to work on and that's cooking away."
Perhaps that idea will somehow relate to the conclusion of "Jumanji: The Next Level" – which features creatures from the video game following our protagonists back into the real world, just like they did in the original "Jumanji" film. Does that mean we'll be seeing more of Jurgen the Brutal? Even if it doesn't, the blockbuster franchise is certain to draw excited eyes to it the moment its fourth edition springs forth.