For more than two decades, Robin Williams was one of the biggest names in the entertainment industry. Throughout his storied career, the iconic funnyman appeared in many hit films, including Good Morning, Vietnam (1987), Dead Poets Society (1989), Hook (1991), Mrs. Doubtfire (1993), The Birdcage (1996), Night at the Museum (2006), and so many more.
Disney fans fondly remember Williams as the voice of the Genie in the classic animated film, Aladdin (1991). He reprised the role in Disney’s 1996 film, Aladdin and the King of Thieves.
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In 1995, Robin Williams starred in a movie that would become legendary among millennials. That movie was Jumanji, and Williams starred as Alan Parrish, a young boy who finds a mysterious board game. He plays it with his friend and is sucked into the game when he rolls, and the game says, “In the jungle, you must wait until the dice read five or eight.”
Decades later, Alan is released from the game when two young children — Judy and Peter –who live in Alan’s old house find Jumanji in the attic. They must survive many obstacles, including a stampede, in order to finish the game and finally free Alan and give him his life back.
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Despite its popularity and cult-like following, a sequel to Jumanji was not made, although Sony Pictures did pitch one in the 1990s, not long after the original film was released.
Then, nearly 20 years later, Sony released Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017), starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson as archaeologist Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone, Kevin Hart as zoologist Franklin “Mouse” Finbar, Karen Gillan as martial arts expert Ruby Roundhouse, and Jack Black as cartographer and paleontologist Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon.
The movie gave us an updated story, where the board game was able to transform itself into a video game as a way to entice teenagers to play. Four teenagers are sucked into the video game and must fight to stay alive, because if their lives run out, they fear they will actually die. They go from average teens to video game characters with special abilities and weaknesses.
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Two years after the release of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Sony released the sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level. The new film saw the return of Johnson, Gillan, Black, and Hart, putting them right in the middle of a brand-new adventure.
Shortly after the film’s release, Johnson confirmed that a third film was in the works, and development officially kicked off in 2020. Of course, the COVID-19 pandemic threw all the work into chaos.
Now, four years, later, we finally know when we will be able to see the third film in the new Jumanji franchise!
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According to multiple reports, the untitled Jumanji 3 project is slated to be released in theaters nationwide on December 11, 2026.
Jumanji 3 is happening on December 11, 2026, Sony has just announced. That’s the same pre-Christmas slot that Sony has launched the previous films in its Jumanji franchise. The movie will have full command of Imax and PLF screens that weekend.
Director Jake Kasdan and star posse Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan are expected to return and are in talks.
Nothing else is dated for that December 2026 frame, but Jumanji 3 opens one week before Disney’s untitled Star Wars movie and Warner Bros/Legendary’s supposed release of Dune 3 on December 18.
At this time, we do not know the story the new film will tell. However, back in 2019, Dwayne Johnson said that the third film would focus on another character in the game, Jurgen the Brutal. Jurgen was the villain in The Next Level, and the third film would tell the story about who exactly was controlling the character in the game.
We do not know if Sony decided to stick with that storyline or create a whole new one.
Inside the Magic will keep readers updated as we learn more!
Which Jumanji movie is your favorite? Do you prefer the original Robin Williams film? Or do you love the new franchise? Share your thoughts in the comments!