With nearly five years gone since the previous movie hit theaters, Jumanji 4 has finally set a 2026 release date. Development on a fourth installment in the action-adventure franchise has remained in an unclear state since the successful release of 2019’s The Next Level, with the COVID-19 pandemic and increasingly busy schedules of its main stars proving troublesome. Even still, both the franchise’s main stars and behind-the-camera talent have remained enthusiastic for Jumanji 4‘s chances, finding them to be fun movies to work on.
Sony has now officially set Jumanji 4 for a December 11, 2026 release date. This date continues the adventure franchise’s unique tradition of releasing during the holiday season, with all three prior movies having also hit theaters in December. The publication also reports that stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black, as well as director Jake Kasden, are all expected to return, but have yet to finalize their talks.
What This Release Date Means For Jumanji 4
The Movie’s Finally Getting On Track
Jumanji 4‘s release date certainly marks the biggest update in the sequel’s development since The Next Level‘s release, though it doesn’t come without a few interesting caveats. The first is the fact that none of the movie’s original cast, nor its director, have fully confirmed their deals to return for the movie. While it doesn’t seem likely that any of them won’t return, the fact they haven’t at least situated them all could also mean they don’t have a filming start date in mind just yet.
That being said, given studios often set release dates well in advance of even having things like complete scripts in hand, Jumanji 4‘s release date shouldn’t raise concerns of rushing the sequel. Producer Hiram Garcia already made it clear before that Kasdan would prioritize the movie once he was finished with Johnson and Chris Evans’ Christmas action-comedy Red One, something made all the easier with the movie coming out in November. With Hart also indicating the movie may be the final one, it would make sense for the team to want to get to work sooner than later.
Related
Jumanji 4 Needs More Than Next Level’s OG Actor Return To Unite The Rock & Robin Williams’ Movies
Jumanji: The Next Level brought back a member of the original Jumanji’s cast, and Jumanji 4 needs to go even further with this strategy.
As far as its actual release date goes, Jumanji 4 finds itself in the perfect window. Beyond just continuing the franchise’s trend of December releases, the sequel doesn’t currently have any major competition to deal with, as the only other scheduled release that month is Denis Villeneuve’s untitled event film from Legendary and Warner Bros., while the month prior only has the next Hunger Games movie, Sunrise on the Reaping, and an untitled Disney Animation Studios title. Though other movies are sure to be scheduled between then and now, having Jumanji 4 in place can give it an early advantage for how studios plan around it.
Our Take On Jumanji 4’s Release Date
The Lengthy Wait May Necessitate The Franchise Ending
While I do find myself thrilled that the movie has finally gotten a release date, part of me can’t help but feel that the lengthy wait for Jumanji 4 might indicate it’s time for the franchise to come to a close. Given the prior two installments saw its real-world characters’ high school and college lives serve as a key element in their character development, the franchise is now running a similar risk to Euphoria, in which the younger actors are aging out of their roles. Unless the creative team come up with a creative way to keep the franchise going, Jumanji 4 might need to be the end.
Source: Sony
Jumanji
The Jumanji franchise originated with the 1995 fantasy adventure film about a magical board game that unleashes real-life jungle dangers into the world. The franchise was revived in 2017 with a modern twist, transforming the game into a video game that traps its players inside an adventurous jungle world. The series blends action, comedy, and fantasy, attracting a broad audience and becoming a major box office success.
- Created by
- Chris Van Allsburg
- First TV Show
- Jumanji
- Latest TV Show
- Jumanji
- First Episode Air Date
- September 8, 1996
- Spin-offs (Movies)
- Zathura
- TV Show(s)
- Jumanji
- Character(s)
- Alan Parrish , Sarah Whittle , Judy Shepherd , Peter Shepherd , Dr. Smolder Bravestone , Franklin “Mouse” Finbar , Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon , Ruby Roundhouse , Nigel Billingsley
- Video Game(s)
- Jumanji: The Video Game
Summary
The Jumanji franchise originated with the 1995 fantasy adventure film about a magical board game that unleashes real-life jungle dangers into the world. The franchise was revived in 2017 with a modern twist, transforming the game into a video game that traps its players inside an adventurous jungle world. The series blends action, comedy, and fantasy, attracting a broad audience and becoming a major box office success.
