Jumanji 4

Jumanji: The Next Level was released in December 2019 pulling in decent reviews and box office numbers. It returned the same cast from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle with the addition of Danny DeVito, Danny Glover, and Awkwafina. With the way Next Level left our heroes, it sure seemed like Jumanji 4 would happen sooner rather than later.

Yet when the first soft reboot of the beloved Robin Williams classic Jumanji was announced, it was met with skepticism. How could they redo a fan favorite? It’s Hollywood. Reboots were and still are the flavor of every decade. Led by box office heavyweight Dwayne Johnson and pal Kevin Hart, the new Jumanji was an instant success.

When Jumanji 2 aka Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle grossed close to $1 billion at the worldwide box office, those numbers meant a sequel was in store.

And now, with Jumanji 3, aka Jumanji: The Next Level, earning big at the box office again, another installment is all but assured.

With that in mind, this is everything we know about Jumanji 4, so far.

Jumanji 4 Would Begin Production Once Dwayne Johnson Had Finished Red One?

In November 2021, we got the first update in a while about Jumanji 4. It wasn’t very specific, but it was something.

Producer and Dwayne Johnson’s business partner Hiram Garcia said that Jumanji 4 was definitely on the way and the creative team had a “big vision” for the next installment in the franchise. He added that it was a “really smart take” on the property.

Garcia didn’t say when we could expect to see Jumanji 4 hit theaters, but he did update when the ball would start rolling on the project.

He said after Red One — Johnson’s holiday-themed action-adventure flick for Amazon Studios — released, that Jumanji 4 will be “on deck.”

Red One will release on August 6, so hopefully, that means we can expect to see Jumanji 4 release in 2023 or early 2024.

Dwayne Johnson And Kevin Hart’s Schedules Have Delayed The Movie

Given that Welcome to the Jungle was released in December of 2017, and Jumani: The Next Level was a December 2019 release, it stood to reason that if the form were to hold, a December 2021 release wasn’t out of the question.

Of course, pandemic delays changed things, and then, the stars of Jumanji 4 all became involved in other projects.

Given the popularity of Jumanji 4’s stars (especially Dwayne Johnson), this made things difficult. Sony could make this a priority, though, and push it to the top of their lists. But how long would it take to get everyone involved?

Dwayne Johnson was working on releasing Black Adam, among his many projects which also include Fast X movies, San Andreas 2, Doc Savage, Red Notice 2, and more.

Kevin Hart had a Borderlands adaptation as well. Despite these obligations, Kevin Hart had no qualms about saying that Jumanji 4 would happen. He noted that franchises this huge don’t come around every day, and no one turns their back on that level of success.

Meanwhile, producers of the film have said that early development was underway and big plans were happening, as of early 2021. If they managed to get things together very quickly, a 2023 release date wouldn’t be out of the question. But that time has come and gone.

Jake Kasden Is Directing Jumanji 4

The studio has said that Jumanji: The Next Level writer/director Jake Kasdan is already working on it.

Kasdan told NME that he and his team are in the “very earliest” stages of mapping Jumanji 4 out. Kasdan also worked with Dwayne Johnson on Red One, the planned Christmas action movie.

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Back Should Return

Good bet that all from the first two will be part of Jumanji 4. Even though Jack Black has hinted at retirement, as he told Balance, it would be hard to see the series continuing without Black’s hilarious version of Bethany (Madison Iseman’s character).

When asked if they’ll bring the main cast back for Jumanji 4, Jumanji 3 director Jake Kasdan had this to say: “The whole thing, to me, is built on the foundation of those people… the game cast are these brilliant movie stars, these iconic people.”

And when Kasdan was asked if he’ll replace any of the kids for Jumanji 4 he answered: “The thing that’s easy to not fully appreciate in the mix of how they work is that the kids are just brilliant… And Alex [Wolff] in particular just really… he plays that character in such a funny, smart way. He’s quietly a really essential part of it.”

So when Jumanji 4 happens, expect Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan to return as the Jumanji in-game characters.

Also expect Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Ser’Darius Blain, and Morgan Turner to be back as their real-world selves. It may be possible that Danny DeVito could return as Spencer’s (Alex Wolff character) grandfather. Also, even though Danny Glover’s character decided to remain in the game as Cyclone the horse, he could always make a Jumanji magic-fueled return.

Nick Jonas and new to the series Awkwafina could reprise their roles as well. What would Jumanji 4 be without NPC character Nigel Billingsley? Another possibility, thanks to the end of the movie set-up, could see the return of Bebe Neuwirth.

Her ties go back to the Robin William’s Jumanji as her character Nora is the aunt to Judy and Peter. Her cameo in Next Level showed us that she is the owner of the restaurant Nora’s, the same one DeVito and Glover’s characters owned before retirement.

Jumanji: The Next Level Set Up A Story For Jumanji 4

Not so much a story, but a possible direction was given at the end of Jumanji: The Next Level.

The movie waited until all was said and done, and then tipped off the audience as to where things could go. Spencer, Fridge, Bethany, and Martha have all agreed never to touch the game again, no matter what. But it’s Spencer’s mom who may lead us into Jumanji 4.

In the end credits scene, Spencer’s mom hires a handyman (New Girl’s Lamone Morris) to fix the heating and as they descend to the basement, the handyman sees the broken Jumanji game.

As he approaches, he reaches out to touch it. Surprisingly, they are not sucked into the game. But as the four kids head off to enjoy their evening, they get interrupted by a stamped of ostriches. Seems like the game is now coming to them, just as it did in the original Robin Williams movie from the 90s.

The set-up is there for Jumanji 4. This Jumanji series is a fun one. The comedy is great, the action is plenty, and it offers just enough heart to really hit home.