First, it is a movie, not an open-world video game. Jumanji: Open World is the official title of the next—and apparently final—film in the modern Jumanji series.

Release date

The movie is scheduled to open in theatres on December 25, 2026. It was previously dated for December 11 before Sony moved it to Christmas Day. No streaming date or home-video date has been announced.

Where it fits in the series

It follows:

  • Jumanji — 1995
  • Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle — 2017
  • Jumanji: The Next Level — 2019
  • Jumanji: Open World — 2026

Although it is sometimes informally called Jumanji 3 because it is the third film with the modern cast, it is the fourth main Jumanji movie overall.

The basic story

The ending of The Next Level showed the damaged Jumanji console being activated in the real world. A flock of ostriches then ran past Spencer’s house, suggesting the game had escaped.

Open World follows that cliffhanger directly: Jumanji’s animals, threats and game avatars are now spilling into the real world.

The four familiar avatars appear outside the game:

  • Dr. Smolder Bravestone
  • Ruby Roundhouse
  • Franklin “Mouse” Finbar
  • Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon

However, they are no longer being controlled normally by Spencer, Martha, Fridge and Bethany. The CinemaCon footage reportedly shows some of them acting like limited, unfinished game characters. Spencer describes them as being stuck in “demo mode.”

What was shown in the CinemaCon footage

Sony screened the first footage privately for theatre owners and journalists in April 2026.

Reported scenes included:

  • Spencer discovering Bravestone in a restaurant.
  • Bravestone behaving as his own exaggerated character rather than as Spencer.
  • Jumanji creatures invading streets and buildings.
  • Komodo dragons moving through an urban area.
  • A rhinoceros smashing through a wall.
  • The avatars returning to jungle environments.
  • Mouse riding a motorcycle.
  • Bravestone and Ruby driving a sports car.
  • Professor Oberon travelling on a Segway.

The apparent idea is that the characters must survive both Jumanji in reality and another journey back inside the game.

Setting

Parts of the story take place in New England and around Boston, rather than remaining entirely inside the tropical game world. The production also filmed in Los Angeles, with reports and cast posts showing real-world streets and wintry locations. That may give the film more of a Christmas-adventure atmosphere than the previous two movies.

Returning cast

The confirmed returning cast includes:

  • Dwayne Johnson — Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone
  • Karen Gillan — Ruby Roundhouse
  • Kevin Hart — Franklin “Mouse” Finbar
  • Jack Black — Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon
  • Alex Wolff — Spencer Gilpin
  • Morgan Turner — Martha Kaply
  • Ser’Darius Blain — Anthony “Fridge” Johnson
  • Madison Iseman — Bethany Walker
  • Nick Jonas — Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough
  • Danny DeVito — Eddie Gilpin

Brittany O’Grady has joined the cast in an undisclosed role. Reports have also linked Burn Gorman to the production, although his role has not been publicly explained.

Characters whose return remains unclear

There has been no solid public confirmation that the following characters will appear:

  • Danny Glover as Milo Walker
  • Awkwafina as Ming Fleetfoot
  • Colin Hanks as adult Alex
  • Rhys Darby as Nigel Billingsley
  • Rory McCann as Jurgen the Brutal
  • Kirsten Dunst as Judy Shepherd
  • Bonnie Hunt as Sarah Whittle

Director Jake Kasdan previously expressed interest in reconnecting with figures from the 1995 film, but interest is not confirmation.

Director and creative team

Jake Kasdan returns as director after making Welcome to the Jungle and The Next Level. The screenplay has been associated with returning franchise writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, while Kasdan remains closely involved creatively.

Matt Tolmach, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Kasdan have been among the principal producers associated with the modern films.

Production status

The project spent years in development after The Next Level. Progress was slowed by the pandemic and the cast’s schedules.

Principal photography began in November 2025, and filming was reported finished by spring 2026. The movie is now in post-production.

Is there a trailer?

A trailer exists, but as of the latest confirmed reporting, it has only been screened privately at CinemaCon. Many videos online labelled “official Jumanji: Open World trailer” are fan-made, concept trailers or AI-edited footage. Sony has not yet publicly released the CinemaCon preview.

The Robin Williams tribute

The movie will contain a recurring tribute to Robin Williams and the original 1995 film. Dwayne Johnson’s Bravestone wears one half of an original Jumanji die as a necklace. Johnson said the item appears throughout the film and is intended to honour Williams and the franchise he helped begin. He described the die as an Easter egg visible in every scene involving the character.

Why the title is Open World

The title works in several ways:

  • The Jumanji world has literally opened into reality.
  • The characters are no longer confined to predetermined game levels.
  • The movie can move between cities, wilderness and the game itself.
  • The avatars may have to operate without players directing them.

It does not currently indicate that Sony is releasing a related open-world video game.

Is this really the final movie?

Dwayne Johnson has repeatedly described it as the final Jumanji film and the franchise’s “big finale.” Kevin Hart had also previously talked about finding a final movie that could properly conclude his long-running screen partnership with Johnson. That most likely means the conclusion of this cast’s storyline. Studios can always revive or reboot a valuable property later, so it does not guarantee that no Jumanji production will ever be made again.

What remains unknown

Sony has not yet publicly revealed:

  • The full official synopsis
  • The main villain
  • Brittany O’Grady’s character
  • Burn Gorman’s character
  • Whether Jurgen’s mysterious player will be revealed
  • Whether original 1995 characters return
  • The movie’s runtime
  • Its rating
  • Its production budget
  • Its official soundtrack composer
  • The public trailer date
  • Exactly how the avatars survive without human players
  • Whether the board game replaces or merges with the video-game console

The Jurgen player mystery is especially notable. After The Next Level, Dwayne Johnson said Jurgen was himself an avatar controlled by somebody unseen. It remains possible that Open World will reveal that person, but Sony has not confirmed this as part of the plot.

Best current understanding

The movie appears designed to complete the circle:

1995: Jumanji enters the real world.
2017–2019: Humans enter Jumanji.
2026: Jumanji, including its actual avatars, fully breaks into our world.

That lets the finale combine the original movie’s real-world animal chaos with the newer films’ avatar comedy and videogame mechanics.

Sources: GamesRadar+; EW.com.