Jack Black Says You’re Counting Jumanji Wrong — The Next Sequel Is Actually Number Five
Jack Black says the next Jumanji is not 3 but 5, and he breaks down the math as he gears up to reprise Shelly Oberon in the still-untitled sequel.
Jack Black says the next Jumanji might have a title problem, because in his head it is not Part 3. It is Part 5. And honestly, his math checks out. He also says he is filming it right now, the script rules, and the core team is back together for a 2026 release.
So is it Jumanji 3 or Jumanji 5?
Black laid out his reasoning while chatting with Entertainment Tonight at the premiere of his new movie Anaconda. He confirmed he is currently on set for the still-untitled sequel and then explained why the numbering gets messy. Quick refresher:
"You could call it Jumanji 4 if you count the original with Robin Williams. And, really, you could call it Jumanji 5 if you count the Jon Favreau film called Zathura, which was a sequel to Jumanji. So, I like to say I’m working on Jumanji 5."
Translation: the 1995 Robin Williams film is the first; Jon Favreau’s 2005 Zathura: A Space Adventure is linked to the same Chris Van Allsburg book universe (marketed like a standalone, but conceptually a follow-up); then you get 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level. That makes the new one the fifth adventure in the lineage, even if the marketing will almost certainly call it Jumanji 3.
Who is back (and who Jack named-dropped)
Black is returning as Professor Sheldon 'Shelly' Oberon, the avatar he played in the 2017 and 2019 films. When asked what kind of chaos he is getting into with the usual suspects, he rattled off the roster and called it an incredible cast. The studio lineup for this new sequel includes:
- Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Xander 'Smolder' Bravestone
- Kevin Hart as Franklin 'Mouse' Finbar
- Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse
- Nick Jonas as Jefferson 'Seaplane' McDonough
- Danny DeVito as Edward 'Eddie' Gilpin
Black being Black, he also hyped the script and said this is the best Jumanji so far. Bold claim, but he is confident.
Where this lands in the bigger picture
This little numbering debate is happening as the original Jumanji turns 30. It premiered in Culver City on December 10, 1995, before opening in U.S. theaters on December 15, 1995. Zathura arrived a decade later in 2005, and the franchise rebooted into video-game-avatar mode in 2017 and 2019. Now, the next chapter is officially dated: the still-untitled Jumanji sequel hits theaters on December 11, 2026.