Dwayne Johnson has provided a definitive production update for Jumanji 4 – and it’s the news that fans have been desperately waiting for, following years of setbacks and delays to get the next installment of the $2 billion action-adventure franchise off the ground. The actor, who plays Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone in the blockbuster films, recently revealed where they are up to with the sequel to 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level. He confirmed that he is preparing to get his smolder on once more, as the team behind the long-awaited follow-up have been making steady progress, and they’re finally ready to get the cameras rolling.
Jumanji 4 has been in development for quite some time, with the long-awaited sequel landing a 2026 release date at the backend of last year. Some fans were dubious that the film would stay on target after facing a number of hurdles, not least of which included getting the busy schedules of its main cast and director to align. However, it seems that they have finally found their way through the jungle of issues they were once facing, as Johnson shared a positive update on the film during a recent recording of The Hollywood Reporter‘s Awards Chatter podcast filmed at Chapman University in Orange County. He told the audience:
“I’m happy to announce to you guys here at Chapman that in less than three weeks we’re starting Jumanji 3. It’s very cool. There will be no Kevin Hart — yeah, he’s just greedy, he wants too much money, but it’s okay. No, I’m only kidding! We can’t wait. It’s going to be awesome. And Jake Kasdan is back, he’s going to direct. Oh, and very cool is that, for the first time in all our Jumanji installments, we’re bringing it back home: we’re shooting in LA.”
Jumanji 4 (or Jumanji 3, if you only count the newer movies) will mark Johnson’s third appearance as Bravestone following 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and its 2019 sequel. However, he might look a little bit different the next time fans see him. Despite joking about Kevin Hart‘s involvement, director Jake Kasdan previously asserted that the original cast are vital to the chemistry and success of the new movies, so he is likely to be back as Franklin “Mouse” Finbar alongside Jack Black and Karen Gillan, who are also both expected to reprise their respective roles as Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon and Ruby Roundhouse.
Jake Kasdan Is Returning to the Director’s Chair
Kevin Black, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black in Jumanji: The Next LevelSony Pictures Releasing
In addition to the core four, it seems that Kasdan couldn’t ignore the call of the Jumanji drums, as he is returning to the director’s chair for the forthcoming installment. He helmed the last two entries in the franchise, but has pursued other projects during the six-year hiatus between the third and fourth films, including one that reunited him with Johnson. Kasdan expressed his desire to expand the hugely successful franchise not long after the release of The Next Level, though he made it clear that he wanted the original cast to be involved with any future films. “The whole thing, to me, is built on the foundation of those people,” he explained. “The game cast are these brilliant movie stars, these iconic people.”
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a huge hit in 2017, tapping into the nostalgia of the classic Robin Williams movie of the ’90s while also giving the concept a modern twist and a big CGI update for new audiences. This led to the sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019, which was another major success. The recent additions to the family-friendly franchise earned over $2 billion at the worldwide box office, making an additional sequel inevitable, but production stalled for several years due to the COVID-19 pandemic, scheduling conflicts, and the 2023 Hollywood strikes. However, fans can breathe a sigh of relief as it seems that everything is finally back on track for the game to begin again.
Release Date
December 10, 2026
Director
Jake Kasdan
Writers
Jeff Pinkner, Scott Rosenberg, Chris Van Allsburg
