Jumanji: Open World Targets Christmas Box Office Amid Blockbuster Rush

Sony Pictures released a new trailer for Jumanji: Open World on Tuesday. The film is scheduled to open in theaters on Christmas Day. This timing places the release immediately after a heavy concentration of major blockbusters.

Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are expected to dominate the box office in mid-December. The Jumanji sequel arrives the following week. The studio positions the film as a lighter option for families during the holiday season.

Jake Kasdan returns to direct the project. He previously helmed Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019. Kasdan also directed Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017, which earned over $960 million worldwide. The 2019 follow-up was also a financial success.

The cast reunites for this installment. Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan reprise their roles. The official synopsis describes the film as the hilarious final installment of the trilogy. The plot involves the game breaking free of its console and unleashing chaos into the real world.

The trailer teases a twist that references the original 1995 film. It also hints at a mystery from the previous movie. In 2019, Dwayne Johnson stated that the villain Jurgen the Brutal was the avatar of another real-world player. Rory McCann portrays that character in the new film.

Development on the third film paused during the pandemic. Work resumed in 2024. The setup for the story was established in the mid-credits scene of Jumanji: The Next Level. In that scene, a heater repairman played by Lamorne Morris unintentionally restarts the game at the home of Spencer Gilpin, played by Alex Wolff.