Sony Pictures released the first trailer for Jumanji: Open World on July 29. The premise is the logical next step for a franchise that has already exhausted the jungle: the game's heroes are loose in the real world.
In the trailer, Spencer (Alex Wolff) surveys the situation: "We have a problem. They're video game characters, but they're stuck in demo mode." The avatars played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan appear in real-world environments as glitching, stilted figures, their video game physics at odds with everyday life. The film takes what was the game's internal logic and turns it outward.
Jake Kasdan directed both prior entries in the rebooted franchise and returns to close the trilogy. The screenplay is again from Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Alongside the returning core cast, the film retains Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, Rhys Darby, Morgan Turner, Ser'Darius Blain, and Madison Iseman. Producers are Kasdan, Johnson, Matt Tolmach, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia.
Sony has moved Open World's release from December 11 to December 25, 2026, placing it in a holiday corridor where family films can run for weeks. The reboot's previous two entries set a high bar: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) crossed $950 million globally, and The Next Level (2019) earned $801 million.
At CinemaCon, Jack Black told the audience, according to The Hollywood Reporter: "I've never had more fun working on a movie. This is my favorite so far."
That is an easy thing to say in a press context. The Christmas opening will offer a cleaner verdict.
