Jumanji for Christmas 2017
The newest big screen spin-off of Chris Van Allsburg’s Caldecott-winning Jumanji (HMH, 1981) is getting a December 22, 2017 release date, delayed six months from the original date, timed to position the film for family holiday viewing. Originally the film had been scheduled for the summer of 2017.
As we wrote earlier, the initial reports about the film stated that the 2017 edition would be a remake of the beloved Robin Williams version. As the news broke it was greeted with a wave of negative reaction. E! Online wrote “not only is the Jumanji remake unnecessary and kind of insulting, but it’s in danger of tarnishing the onscreen legacy of one of the great comedians of our time.”
Since then, star Dwayne Johnson (who plays the character Dr. Bravestone) has cleared up matters on his Instagram account (and reported by Yahoo!), writing the film will not be a remake but rather a continuation of the story:
“This new movie will NOT be a remake or reboot of the original. It will be a CONTINUATION of the awesome JUMANJI adventure 20 years later. As a producer on this movie and someone who loves the original, you have my word we’ll honor the legend of ‘Alan Parrish’ and properly introduce a whole new generation to the fun and crazy JUMANJI universe that so many of us loved and grew up on”
Digital Spy says Bravestone is “an explorer and one of the avatars” within the game. In addition to Johnson, the film also stars Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart.
Variety reports the shuffle in release date also impacts the adaptation of Stephen King’s The Dark Tower, now moved from Feb. 2017 to the summer slot of Jumanji.