In 2017, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a huge success, generating a billion dollars at the box office. The film modernised the concept of Jumanji but paid a huge tribute to the late Robin Williams, who starred in the original Jumanji film in 1995. A sequel to Welcome to the Jungle is expected to further impress. So, what can we expect?
You could be trapped on your smartphone
The actual concept of Jumanji could change again in the new film. Sony modernized Jumanji in Welcome to the Jungle by using a video game, and there’s a good chance they will look to evolve the concept further. One way this could happen is by having Jumanji take place on smartphones, and it will trap gamers that way. Welcome to the Jungle seemed to finish very quickly, having smartphones as the way gamers are trapped gives the writers so many different options for where the story could go. The actors could step into the game and be animated versions of themselves. Other applications could be available for gamers to download that will give them special powers, help or tips to assist with during the game, such as the ability to buy more characters, which could be accrued during the game.
Games to play
Tying in with the previous one, having Jumanji on smartphones means that the movie could be adapted and released on phones for gamers to enjoy in real life and to try and re-create the Jumanji experience. An app was released in 2017 following the release of Welcome to the Jungle, featuring characters inspired by the ones in the movie. The online casino Unibet has an incredibly fun Jumanji slot game based on the film, with features such as Sticky Vines, Monsoon Wilds, Monkey Mayhem and Wild Stampede. If the new Jumanji film involves playing the game on smartphones, this gives developers a great opportunity to try and re-create the action in the film fully licensed with all the actors. The growth of Virtual Reality makes it likely that any future Jumanji games will have it incorporated, allowing gamers to step into Jumanji and experience a full 360 degrees view of it.
Original cast members will return
The cast from Welcome to the Jungle is expected to return and reprise their roles in the sequel. Confirmed so far is Dwayne Johnson, who announced the sequel on Instagram. Karen Gillan is hinting at a return, stating “I would really be intrigued to see who is playing the game this time around, assuming that they will choose different players to get stuck in the game, then maybe we can all play completely different characters.” The director of Welcome to the Jungle, Jake Kasdan, is returning with writers William Teitler and Matt Tolmach. Jack Black and Kevin Hart have also reportedly signed up for the sequel.
