Dwayne Johnson: New ‘Jumanji’ is a sequel to original

He’s just wrapped filming on Fast 8 with some notable drama, but the actor is already looking ahead to another one of his big-budget ventures, and in a recent online post, he made sure to clarify the exact nature of that highly anticipated film. It appears, however, that Jumanji will not be a reimagining or a reboot or even a remake – it will be a continuation.

And now in two weeks I’ll reunite with ol’ friends Kevin Hart & Jack Black and we have the honor to introduce a whole new generation to the unbelievable world of #JUMANJI.

Presumably, then, the film will fit into the same world; merely revealing the fate of the magical board game a couple of decades down the line, having fallen into some newly unwitting hands. Kasdan is best known for his work on films such as 2002’s “Orange County”, 2007’s “Walk Hard: The Dewey Cox Story”, 2011’s “Bad Teacher”, and 2014’s “Sex Tape”.

Johnson is calling the trio of Black, Hart, and himself “The Cray Cray Triplets” and that should be a pretty good indication of where this movie is going. Neither Johnson nor Hart called dibs on the unenviable task of following in the footsteps of the late Robin Williams in the role of Alan Parrish, who was trapped in the Jumanji game for 26 years.

Still from the original “Jumanji” film with Robin Williams.

When one considers, perhaps frustratingly, the ever growing docket of remakes and reboots now in production, it becomes customary to expect little and assume the worst.

The Rock is not only starring in the film, but he will also be co-producing it. Black brings some physical comedy to the mix and adds a “wild card” element to the project, which should be pure gold for viewers.

Jumanji opens in theaters July 28th, 2017.