Remember when we were all terrified the Jumanji reboot was going to be terrible? Remarkably, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle turned out to be far better than anyone expected, garnering strong reviews and earning over $1 billion for Sony. Naturally, the studio is hoping to strike gold again with this direct sequel to the previous film and the third instalment in the franchise based around the deadly jungle game. And this final trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level promises there’ll be more of what made the last one a hit, along with a few extra twists.
Like last time, Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Kevin Hart have assembled to play the video game avatars that a group of teens must inhabit in order to escape Jumanji. This time, however, the avatars have been switched around. Johnson’s Dr. Smoulder Bravestone is now the avatar for Spencer’s grandfather, played by Danny DeVito. And that’s the movie’s big hook right there. I mean, who wouldn’t want to see Johnson doing a Danny DeVito impression for two hours? If you need more convincing, though, this trailer teases bigger action and peril to go along with the laughs.
For the sequel, the gang will have to brave the next level of the game, which moves them into new terrains away from the jungle – including a sweltering desert and a wintry environment – in order to find Spencer and Bethany. Spencer’s not revealed in this trailer, but Bethany’s initially a horse, though she eventually returns to Shelly Oberon, allowing Black to do his winning teenage girl impression again.
Oh, and you’ve got Nick Jonas back in the mix as Seaplane McDonough, too, the fifth avatar. He appears to be Colin Hanks’ Alex once more, even though he was freed from the game in the previous film.
Get ready to return to the jungle when Jumanji: The Next Level roars into theaters on December 13th. Given how well these trailers are going down with fans, it’s looking like this will be another great Christmas for Sony.