Jumanji Returns: Next Adventure Begins Filming This November

Well, the jungle drums are finally beating again. After a longer-than-expected breather, the next Jumanji is actually, for real, gearing up.

What we know right now

• Production is slated to start in November in Los Angeles.
• The core quartet is back: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan are all returning.
• Jake Kasdan is back in the director chair.
• New additions: Brittany O'Grady (The White Lotus) and Burn Gorman (Beetlejuice Beetlejuice) have joined the cast.
• Script is by Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg.
• Plot details are locked down tight for now.
• Release date is set: Sony currently has it on the calendar for December 11, 2026.

Why the wait?

Given the money the last two movies printed, the gap has been a little odd. Producer Hiram Garcia was talking about early development way back in 2021. At the time, he said:

"You know, we are always having conversations, and that is a family, that entire group if there is ever been," Garcia said. "It is hard to imagine or remember a time I have been on a set where it is just a beloved group of cast and crew and actors and that is just one of those things where we know we have a really big idea that we want to do with it. We have been discussing it. There are conversations that have been going on and we are in the process of moving that along. I can not tell you anything, but we do have big plans for it and that is one of our favorite projects to work on and that is cooking away."

Translation: everyone wanted to do it, they had a bigger swing in mind, and it took time to line up schedules and a plan. Now we are finally there.

How we got here

Jumanji started as Chris Van Allsburg's children's book, then became the 1995 movie led by the late Robin Williams about a cursed board game unleashing chaos on the real world. In 2017, the series rebooted itself smartly: the board game evolved into a video game that sucks four teens into the jungle as adult avatars played by Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan. That film, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, shocked everyone by hauling in over $962 million worldwide. The 2019 follow-up, Jumanji: The Next Level, kept the momentum with over $800 million globally.

The vibe this time

No story intel yet, but the old crew returning with Kasdan, plus Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg scripting again, suggests they are sticking with the formula that worked. Add Brittany O'Grady and Burn Gorman as fresh pieces on the board, and it sounds like they are expanding the world rather than flipping it.

Production kicks off in November. If they keep things moving, December 11, 2026 should be a safe landing. Jungle booby traps and holiday box office? Works for me.