‘Jumanji: Open World’ trailer reunites Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan for ‘one last game’; film sets up Christmas clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘King’
Dwayne Johnson has unveiled the first official trailer for ‘Jumanji: Open World’, bringing back the team including Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan for what is being billed as the final chapter of the blockbuster comedy-adventure franchise.The trailer of the third and final instalment arrived with the tagline, “One. Last. Game. The final countdown begins.”Set for a Christmas release, ‘Jumanji: Open World’ promises to raise the stakes by bringing the game into the real world. Unlike the previous films, where the characters were transported into the world of the game, Jumanji: Open World flips the premise. This time, Jumanji escapes its console and unleashes its chaos into the real world, blurring the line between fantasy and reality. The trailer also hints at a fresh twist for the returning heroes. According to Variety, Johnson, Hart and Black will each portray different versions of their iconic avatars. Johnson’s Dr. Smolder Bravestone now speaks with a Spanish accent, while Hart and Black’s characters are described as being “stuck in demo mode” and still working through a few glitches. The footage also features creatures from the wild wreaking havoc in the real world as they run wild on the quiet New England streets.Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, Marin Hinkle, Bebe Neuwirth, Lamorne Morris and Rhys Darby reprise their roles, while Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes join the cast as newcomers.The latest instalment also pays tribute to the franchise’s origins. Inspired by the 1995 ‘Jumanji’ film starring Robin Williams in the lead. The new movie reportedly includes an Easter egg featuring the original.Jake Kasdan, who directed both ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017) and ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ (2019), returns to helm the third film in the reboot trilogy.The trailer launch comes after Sony shifted the film’s release to the Christmas corridor, moving it from its previously scheduled December 11 debut. The move sets ‘Jumanji: Open World’ for a solo international release, days after the box office clash between ‘Dune: Part Three’ and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, both slated to open on December 18.The film’s release also sets up a high-profile box office clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s upcoming action thriller ‘King’, at the international box office. The film is scheduled to hit Indian cinemas during the Christmas holiday corridor. If it goes ahead with the clash, the Bollywood film will face significant competition at the international ticket windowsThe Christmas window has previously been successful for the ‘Jumanji’ franchise. Besides the original, which released on December 15, 1995, ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ opened on December 20, 2017, and went on to become a global box office hit, earning more than USD 960 million worldwide. Its sequel, ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, followed in 2019.
