In a new Instagram post, Dwayne Johnson has addressed the concerns of Jumanji fans and given some new details. Specifically, how they will honor Robin Williams’ amazing performance in the 1995 classic and how many main characters there are in Sony Pictures‘ new Jumanji movie. Johnson says:
“And the #JUMANJI magic begins.
Excellent meeting with our director Jake Kasdan, producer Matt Tolmach, and our @SevenBucksProd team to work on our new re-imagining of this amazing story.
I felt like in order to craft something cool we should begin where it all started. Award winning writer Chris Van Allsburg’s source material of JUMANJI. Chris also wrote THE POLAR EXPRESS (later adapted by Robert Zemeckis and Tom Hanks) and has a very special & magical way of storytelling.
I’m feelin’ good and confident stepping into these shoes as a producer as well as actor to bring you something great that you and your entire fam can enjoy.
An important thing that I want to be honest and bring up is Robin Williams. The love and respect I have for this man is boundless. You have my word, we will honor his name and the character of “Alan Parrish” will stand alone and be forever immortalized in the world of JUMANJI in an earnest and cool way. I have an idea of what to do and I think his family will be proud. I also think Robin is somewhere lookin’ down and laughing, remembering the first time we met backstage and I (for the first time ever) was a star struck bumbling idiot that couldn’t even get my words out. Idiot. He literally calmed me down w/ that smile and laugh. But that’s for another fun story down the road.
We got a great team assembled already over at our home base of SONY and now we build from here.
Here’s another fun part… in the original movie there were three big roles. In our new story there’s now FIVE. Been so damn cool to see all my actor buddies push their projects aside so hopefully they can come play in our world. Should have cool casting announcements this week. Will keep you posted.”
The Jumanji remake will return to the source material that inspired the 1995 film, re-adapting Chris Van Allsburg’s 1985 children’s book in which a magical board game causes jungle plants and creatures to invade a quiet American suburb.
Bad Teacher and Sex Tape helmer Jake Kasdan will direct Jumanji from a screenplay by High Fidelity and Con Air scribe Scott Rosenberg with frequent Bad Robot executive producer Jeff Pinkner serving as a consultant. Matt Tolmach will produce the film, scheduled for a July 28, 2017 release. William Teitler is also producing with Ted Field. Mike Weber and Van Allsburg executive produce.
Directed by Joe Johnston, the 1995 big screen take on Jumanji stars the late Robin Williams opposite Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, Jonathan Hyde, Bebe Neuwirth, David Alan Grier and Patricia Clarkson.
