Dwayne Johnson Confirms Jumanji 3 Filming Kicks Off In November

The Rock isn't slowing down — he's packing his gear for another wild ride, and this time the jungle adventure is coming sooner than anyone thought.

Looks like The Rock is heading back to the jungle. Fresh off the awards buzz for Benny Safdie's The Smashing Machine, Dwayne Johnson says the next Jumanji is finally moving — and yes, he is teaming back up with Kevin Hart.

So when does this actually happen?

Johnson told Variety that cameras are set to roll on Jumanji 3 in November 2025. Sony has it parked on the calendar for a December 11, 2026 theatrical release. That gives the team a tight-but-manageable runway, and it lines up with what the studio quietly re-committed to earlier this year.

Wait, wasn’t he pivoting away from blockbusters?

Kind of. Johnson recently said he feels pigeon-holed in Hollywood and wants to chase grittier material like The Smashing Machine. But he also made it clear he isn’t bailing on the crowd-pleasers that built his empire.

"The films that I made in the past, I love them... I’ll go back to making them again."

Who’s back, and what’s the angle this time?

Expect the core four: Johnson as Dr. Xander 'Smolder' Bravestone, Kevin Hart as Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar, Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse, and Jack Black as Professor Shelly Oberon — the in-game avatars controlled by unlucky players who get sucked into the world of Jumanji. Beyond that, casting is still under wraps.

Story-wise, the post-credits tag in 2019's Jumanji: The Next Level had animals from the game spilling into the real world, which sets up a bigger, messier problem. If the franchise follows that breadcrumb, we might even see the avatars themselves crossing over into reality. That’s the fun swing, anyway.

The bumpy road to Jumanji 3 (or 4, depending how you count)

Inside baseball alert: if you’re counting from the Robin Williams-led original, this is movie four. If you’re counting the modern Johnson/Hart era, it’s the third. Either way, the path here has been long:

• 2017: Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle launches the rebooted franchise.
• 2019: Jumanji: The Next Level hits and tees up that real-world crossover in its stinger.
• 2020: COVID-19 stalls everything.
• 2021: Development quietly restarts.
• 2024: After a long stretch of silence, Sony reaffirms the sequel and targets late 2026.
• November 2025: Filming start date, per Johnson.
• December 11, 2026: Theatrical release.

Bottom line

Johnson is keeping one foot in prestige land and one on the blockbuster gas pedal. Jumanji 3 starts shooting next fall, hits theaters December 11, 2026, and — if that Next Level tease pays off — could finally let the game break loose in the real world. I’m in for the chaos.