'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' is considered as a sequel to the 1995 film instead of a reboot and will focus on a video game which traps its players.
- Mar 29, 2017
AceShowbiz - During the presentation at CinemaCon on Monday, March 27, new footage of "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" was released and revealed a significant detail of the movie. Rather than centering on magical board game, "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" will focus on a video game which traps its players.
The footage features four teens who find an old video game console. The video game later transports them to a jungle and into the bodies of their avatars (played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan). Producer Matt Tolmach suggested that the movie would see what would happen when people literally lived inside a game.
"The walls between our reality and entertainment are becoming virtually transparent or invisible. The whole idea behind this movie is that you literally inhabit a game," Tolmach said. He added, "We all think of games as something you play, and then it's time for dinner, or you need to go to work or do your homework, and you walk away from the game. But if you're actually in a game, those rules are very different and the stakes of that game become very real."
While many people assume that "Welcome to the Jungle" is a reboot, director Jake Kasdan considers it a sequel to the 1995 movie instead. " 'Jumanji' is the kind of movie that I think people shouldn't out-and-out remake," said Kasdan. "To me, a big part of its power is in the unique elements of its original execution. Within that, I think there's this central idea and mythology that's mysterious, but powerful, and commands a powerful part of the imagination," he added.
"Jumanji" is based on Chris Van Allsburg's book of the same name. The 1995's movie, starring Robin Williams and Kirsten Dunst, made a success at box office and gained $260 million globally.
Also starring in upcoming "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" are Ser'Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Rhys Darby and Morgan Turner. The movie is set to hit U.S. theaters on December 22.
