Over three decades after it began and nine years into a modern reboot, the Jumanji franchise is calling it quits in 2026. Jumanji began in 1995 with an adventure centered around a magical board game as two kids were unknowingly pulled into the perilous realm, only to encounter and rescue a man who had been trapped there for decades, played by Robin Williams. The franchise was rebooted in 2017's Welcome to the Jungle and continued in 2019's The Next Level, shifting focus to a magical video game as the players took on in-game avatars, brought to life by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillian, and Jack Black.
Jumanji's Dr. Smolder Bravestone actor Dwayne Johnson celebrated "officially kicking off production" on next year's The Next Level sequel on Instagram, hyping up the "massive, fun, heartfelt adventure." The Rock also brought some unfortunate news, confirming this will be the franchise's final installment.
Johnson proclaimed how it "feels emotionally appropriate" to close out the Jumanji franchise with this much-anticipated untitled tale, which is slated to hit theaters on December 11, 2026, and is about to start filming in Los Angeles:
"Officially kicking off production of 'Jumanji' at our cast table read in Los Angeles, where we will film as well. What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure. Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved 'Jumanji' franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film."
Zoologist Franklin Finbar actor Kevin Hart indicated in March 2023 that Jumanji 4 was being plotted as their "last and final movie." However, Johnson's latest comments mark the first official confirmation of the Jumanji franchise's ending
The actor closed his statement, noting his excitement to reunite with the Jumanji cast and crew, teasing the movie's humor with how their "jaws were hurting from laughing so hard" during the recent table read:
"Amazing to get the whole gang back together, and our jaws were hurting from laughing so hard. We all talked about how much we’ve missed this kinda joy and fun. Let’s make a good one."
Jumanji 4 Could Kick Off a Huge Year for Dwayne Johnson
While there was once skepticism about rebooting Jumanji, especially with a major reinvention that abandoned the classic board game for a modern video game, the Dwayne Johnson-led trilogy has, thus far, been a wild success.
Welcome to the Jungle grossed an impressive $962 million worldwide, and the sequel, The Next Level, followed with $802 million. Outside of James Bond flicks, Skyfall and Spectre, the two Jumanji movies are the highest non-Marvel box office results ever for Sony Pictures, making the franchise's ending a significant hit.
Jumanji 4 won't be the only franchise adventure for The Rock in 2026, as he will be returning to the world of Moana and Maui with a new co-star, Catherine Laga’aia, thanks to July's much-anticipated live-action remake from Disney.
If the Jumanji and Moana franchises perform in line with their previous sequels, next year could be among the highest-grossing yet for Johnson. The former WWE star had a big year in 2025 as Moana 2 brought in over $1 billion, and while his A24 flick The Smashing Machine disappointed at the box office, it was proclaimed a career-based performance that could earn him some Best Actor nominations.
