Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson’s recent Jumanji films have reignited excitement for the franchise, but fans are confused about the title of the next installment. The debate centers on whether it should be called Jumanji 3 or Jumanji 5.
The confusion stems from how the Jumanji franchise has changed over time. There’s the original movie with Robin Williams and the newer reboot series with The Great One.
So, fans are unsure if the next movie follows the original story, making it Jumanji 3, or if it’s part of the reboot series, which would make it Jumanji 5. Plus, there’s also confusion about whether Jumanji 4 would be happening or not.
Jumanji 4 Continues Development Amid Franchise Confusion
For those who see Robin Williams‘ 1995 Jumanji as the starting point of the story, the next sequel would be the fifth installment. They count the 2005 spin-off Zathura: A Space Adventure as part of the Jumanji universe because it shares themes and links to the original book by Chris Van Allsburg. Adding Zathura to the count would make the upcoming film Jumanji 5.
But many fans connect more with the recent reboot series, starting with 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. For them, the upcoming movie would be the third sequel, after Dwayne Johnson‘s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level (2019). In this view, they don’t include the 1995 film or Zathura in the sequel numbering.
Adding to the confusion, Karen Gillan, who plays Ruby Roundhouse in the recent Jumanji films, gave an update about the upcoming sequel. This has left fans further divided on the official title of the upcoming installment.
The 36-year-old recently spoke to The Hollywood Reporter, confirming that plans for Jumanji 4 are indeed underway. The actress also addressed the long wait for the fourth installment. While she couldn’t pinpoint the exact reason for the delay, she jokingly blamed scheduling conflicts for keeping the cast apart. Check out her quote below:
“If you find out [who’s to blame for it taking so long], can you let me know? Because I don’t know. I’m sure it’s tricky to wrangle everyone’s schedules, but I haven’t heard anything about it other than the fact that we will be doing it at some point.”
This means that Jumanji 4 is still very much in development, it’s just a matter of finding the right time to bring the team back together. With the next Jumanji adventure on the horizon, it seems fans will have to wait for an official announcement to settle the debate.
Jumanji 4 could be the Last Movie of the Franchise
Karen Gillan’s recent comments confirm Jumanji 4 is moving forward, much to the delight of fans who’ve been waiting for the next chapter in this wild adventure series.
However, there are some roadblocks on the horizon. While Sony Pictures seems committed to keeping the franchise going with the original cast (Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan), scheduling conflicts are causing delays.
As the cast pursues other projects, their availability for future Jumanji films becomes less certain. Also, Hart’s past comments about his final collaboration with Johnson (he told Variety) hint that Jumanji 4 might be their last flick in the franchise.
While Gillan assures fans of the cast’s enthusiasm, the long wait sparks speculation that Jumanji 4 might serve as a grand finale, marking the end of this popular series. Only time will tell what the future holds for Jumanji, but one thing’s for sure: fans are eager to jump back into it.
Watch Jumanji, Zathura: A Space Adventure, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and Jumanji: The Next Level on Amazon Prime Video.
