Jake Kasdan unveils the difficulties of bringing back the originalJumanjicast members into his sequels, and how he has tried to create a larger, connected world. The director helmed 2017’sJumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which saw a new form of the titular game transport four teens in detention to a wild, fantastical jungle within a video game, unable to escape until they complete every level. Another sequelfollowedin 2019, with athirdJumanjisequel confirmed to be in developmentin 2020.
Recently, Kasdan sat down withThe Hollywood Reporterand opened up about the secrets of his other fantastical series. While he has respect for Kirsten Dunst, who portrayed Judy in the 1995 movie,any hopes of bringing back any of the originalJumanjicast were dashedby the game resetting upon completion and erasing the memory of those involved.
“We love Kirsten. She’s fantastic. From the time we did Welcome to the Jungle, we were very focused on keeping a little bit of connectivity to the original movie, which we love. We’ve always wanted to honor it and keep enough of it alive. Also, the way the original movie ends, as brilliant as it is, creates a lot of plot complications in trying to continue the story with those characters. I don’t know how well you remember it, but the world reverts back to what it was before, as though it never happened. Some of the characters are still aware of what happened, but most of them aren’t. So the kids [including Dunst’s Judy] don’t remember because it short-circuits the part where they have the adventure, but Robin [Williams] and Bonnie’s characters are aware.
Despite this hurdle, Kasdan has donehis best to create a shared continuity between the two eras of the franchisethrough smaller nods and cameos and is eager to continue this tradition.
So it has this complicated, clever bit of storytelling at the end that has always made the challenge of continuing their story very complicated. But, that said, within that complication, we’ve loved trying to figure out some way to do it in a way that is fun and passes some kind of fidelity to the original story. So, in Welcome to the Jungle, there are some references to Robin’s character, and then in The Next Level, we have a character [Judy’s aunt Nora, played by Bebe Neuwirth] that comes back in a way and obeys the previous story told, but in a slightly sideways way.”
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Despite a large gap between installments and the larger alterations in the format of the magical game, theJumanjisequels remain faithful to the premise. The latter installmentsuphold the premise of a group of friends pulled into a magical game, with the story’s core about each teen emerging as a better person.
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As such, while Kasdan’s response likely rules out any larger connections manifesting or key characters returning, it does reveal that there will bea careful effort to pay tribute to the original. Though there may not be large, overt connections or familiar faces, it is clear that the franchise will not lose sight of the movies and stars that helped establish it.
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The Limitations May Have Brought Out The Best For The Franchise
While continuity limitations may be an obstacle in the long run, it can be argued that it hasprovided the revived franchise with a greater benefit. Though many modern legacy sequels can fall into the trap of focusing on the nostalgic elements of the property,Jumanjihas been forced to stand on its own merits rather than relying on fan service to win over audiences.
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Though the Jumanji franchise has become a massive success, a few factors have contributed to Jumanji 4 not having gotten started yet.
Furthermore, with Kasdan’s comments indicating that there is an effort to establish a shared continuity, many may wonder if this will be reflected in how future movies regard past installments of the revived series. With no returning cast confirmed forJumanji 3just yet, a tribute to the cast would feel fitting if the series were to go in a new direction.
Jumanji
TheJumanjifranchise originated with the 1995 fantasy adventure film about a magical board game that unleashes real-life jungle dangers into the world. The franchise was revived in 2017 with a modern twist, transforming the game into a video game that traps its players inside an adventurous jungle world. The series blends action, comedy, and fantasy, attracting a broad audience and becoming a major box office success.
