Jumanji: The Next LevelJumanji:
The Next Level is a 2019 American adventure comedy film directed by Jake Kasdan, who co-wrote the script with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The film is the fourth installment in the Jumanji film series and the sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017). Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Alex Wolff, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain and Madison Iseman reprise their roles from the previous film while Awkwafina, Danny Glover, and Danny DeVito join the cast. The film’s plot takes place two years after Welcome to the Jungle, in which the same group of teenagers , along with an old friend and two unwitting additions, become trapped in Jumanji once again. There, they all find themselves facing new problems and challenges with both old and new avatars, while having to save the land from a new villain to escape.
Principal photography took place between January 21 and May 11, 2019, in locations including Atlanta, New Mexico, Alberta, and Hawaii. Jumanji: The Next Level was released in the United States on December 13, 2019, by Sony Pictures Releasing. The film received generally favorable reviews from critics and was the tenth highest-grossing film of 2019, earning $801.7 million worldwide against a budget of $125–132 million. A sequel is set for release on December 11, 2026.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylktRFHey9k&t=56s
Plot
After their adventures in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Spencer Gilpin, Anthony “Fridge” Johnson, Martha Kaply, and Bethany Walker plan to meet up over Christmas break to hang out after being apart for their first semester of college. Spencer, feeling despondent that his life is not as glamorous as his friends’, enters Jumanji, wanting to feel like his avatar again: the strong, courageous Dr. Smolder Bravestone.
On visiting his house when Spencer fails to show up as planned, his friends are shocked to realize he entered the game. They follow him, knowing he cannot get out by himself. Unfortunately, Spencer’s grandfather Eddie and Eddie’s estranged friend Milo, who are upstairs, are also sucked into the game. As Bethany is left behind, she turns to Alex Vreeke for help.
Martha once again becomes the avatar Ruby Roundhouse, but Fridge becomes Bethany’s old avatar, Professor Sheldon Oberon, while Eddie and Milo become Dr. Smolder Bravestone and Franklin “Mouse” Finbar. Expecting the same gameplay, the group is surprised by a new plot: Jumanji is suffering from a drought. To end the game, they must recover a magical necklace called the Falcon Jewel, stolen by warlord Jurgen the Brutal. After escaping a stampede of ostriches, they meet up with Spencer at a bazaar, who also has a new avatar: a skilled female thief called Ming Fleetfoot.
The group struggles adjusting to their avatars and have trouble with Milo not being able to relay information quickly, and Eddie’s volatile carelessness costing them several lives. They reunite with Alex as his avatar Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough, along with Bethany, who has become a black stallion named Cyclone. Eddie learns that Milo is terminally ill and wants to make amends before he dies, which leads them to reconcile.
The group finds a river with magical water that allows them to switch avatars. This lets each of them return to their original avatars while Eddie and Milo are given Ming and Cyclone, respectively. When Eddie and Milo are captured by Jurgen’s soldiers, the friends split up to rescue their teammates and get the Falcon Heart. They fight off Jurgen and his men and steal back the gem. Cyclone, who turns into a winged horse, flies up to the sky with Eddie, who shows the necklace to the sky, so the sunlight touches it as instructed, yelling Jumanji’s name, and therefore completing the game.
Milo, who appreciates his new, flying form, opts to stay in the game. The rest return to the real world, and Spencer reconciles with his friends.
In a mid-credits, Spencer’s mother brings a repairman into the house, who sees the broken video game console and inadvertently triggers the game. Simultaneously, a herd of ostriches appears outside Nora’s restaurant, and Spencer and the others are surprised to see creatures from the world of Jumanji loose in the real world.
Cast
- Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone: A player character and Eddie’s avatar initially, later becoming Spencer’s avatar again. He takes the form of a strong, confident archaeologist and explorer who now has the weakness of evading Switchblade.
- Johnson also portrays Bravestone’s father in a flashback, with Zachary Tzegaegbe portraying the young Bravestone
- Jack Black as Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon: A player character and Fridge’s new avatar. Martha briefly controls the avatar, and he later once again becomes Bethany’s. Professor Oberon takes the form of an overweight, male expert in many scientific fields including cartography and geometry who now has the weakness of sun, sand, and heat.
- Kevin Hart as Franklin “Mouse” Finbar: A player character, Milo’s avatar initially, who later becomes Fridge’s avatar once again. Finbar takes the form of a diminutive zoologist and weapons carrier with some talent in animal linguistics as a new ability.
- Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse: A player character and Martha’s avatar, who takes the form of a scantily-clad commando who knows martial arts and gains a mastery over nunchuks as a new ability. She is briefly controlled by Fridge.
- Nick Jonas as Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough: A player character, and Alex’s avatar once again, who takes the form of an aircraft pilot.
- Awkwafina as Ming Fleetfoot: A new Jumanji player character and Spencer’s new avatar, who later becomes Eddie’s avatar. Fleetfoot takes the form of a thief with skills in burglary, pickpocketing, and lock picking as well as a weakness to pollen.
- Rory McCann as Jurgen the Brutal, a violent Jumanjian warlord who is responsible for the murders of Bravestone’s parents
- Danny DeVito as Edward “Eddie” Gilpin: Spencer’s grandfather, who resents Milo for selling the diner they co-owned.
- Danny Glover as Milo Walker: Eddie’s estranged friend, whose falling out resulted from him selling their diner.
- Alex Wolff as Spencer Gilpin: A new college student struggling to adjust to his new life and Martha’s boyfriend.
- Morgan Turner as Martha Kaply: A new college student and Spencer’s girlfriend.
- Ser’Darius Blain as Anthony “Fridge” Johnson: A new college student and friend of Spencer, Martha, and Bethany.
- Madison Iseman as Bethany Walker: A new college student, one of the four friends who experienced the previous Jumanji, now a travel influencer.
- Rhys Darby as Nigel Billingsley: An NPC who serves as the primary guide for its players.
- Colin Hanks as Alex Vreeke: A previous Jumanji player, now raising a family.
- Marin Hinkle as Janice Gilpin: Spencer’s mother and Eddie’s daughter.
- Vince Pisani as the Pharmacy Manager
- Dorothy Steel as the Village Elder.
Bebe Neuwirth reprises her role as Nora Shepherd, aunt of the first film’s protagonists Peter and Judy Shepherd who attempted to turn the Parrish House into a bed and breakfast.
Also featured as NPCs in Jumanji are Jennifer Patino as Bravestone’s mother, Massi Furlan as crime boss Switchblade who is a weakness to Bravestone, Dania Ramirez as Switchblade’s seductive wife, John Ross Bowie as Jurgen’s butler Cavendish, and DeObia Oparei as an elevator guard. Danny DeVito’s daughter Lucy also portrays the NPC of a maiden and Lamorne Morris plays the heater repairman.
Production
Following the release of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, Sony began developing the sequel. Kasdan returned to direct the sequel, with Rosenberg and Pinkner again writing the script and Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillan reprising their roles.
Black confirmed the new film as being a fourth Jumanji film because of Zathura: A Space Adventure (2005), serving as the second film and sharing continuity with the other films of the series, with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle serving as the third film. Kasdan claims that the movie had the working title J.
The film’s title was revealed as Jumanji: The Next Level.
Awkwafina, Danny DeVito, and Danny Glover joined the film in January 2019.Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, and Nick Jonas were hired to reprise their roles in February. In March, Dania Ramirez joined the cast of the film.
That same month, Rhys Darby was confirmed to reprise his role in the film. Colin Hanks joined the cast in May to reprise his role.
Filming began on January 21, 2019, and took place in the Blackhall Studios near Atlanta, New Mexico, Calgary, Fortress Mountain Resort, Algodones Dunes in California, and Hawaii before wrapping on May 11. According to reports, Johnson earned $23.5 million for his role.
🎬 JUMANJI: A CINEMATIC JOURNEY INTO THE UNKNOWN
In a world where danger rolls with the dice and destiny lies in pixels… one franchise dares to blur the line between fantasy and reality.
Welcome to the jungle. Welcome to Jumanji.
ACT ONE: THE GAME BEGINS – Jumanji (1995)
The year is 1995. A storm brews over a sleepy American town. Thunder cracks. A mysterious board game whispers secrets through time. And a young boy named Alan Parrish vanishes without a trace.
Robin Williams, in one of his most heartfelt and iconic performances, takes us on a journey through time, fear, and redemption. Directed by Joe Johnston, the original Jumanji is more than just a children’s fantasy film—it’s a cautionary tale dressed in jungle leaves and wild stampedes.
With groundbreaking effects and a haunting atmosphere, the game releases chaos with every roll: lions in the living room, monkeys on motorcycles, and vines that overtake entire houses.
But beneath the adventure lies a deeper message: you can’t outrun your fears—you have to face them.
ACT TWO: THE GAME EVOLVES – Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017)
Fast-forward two decades. The board game has gathered dust. But evil never sleeps—it only adapts.
A beat-up video game console glows to life in a high school basement. Four teenagers—each battling their own identity crises—are sucked into a digital jungle unlike anything they’ve ever seen.
But they don’t emerge as themselves. Instead…
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A shy gamer becomes Dwayne Johnson, the muscle-bound Dr. Smolder Bravestone.
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A neurotic brainiac becomes Kevin Hart, the tiny but fiery zoologist, Mouse Finbar.
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A self-absorbed teen girl becomes Jack Black, the portly cartographer Professor Shelly Oberon.
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And a quiet wallflower transforms into Karen Gillan, the lethal martial-arts master, Ruby Roundhouse.
What unfolds is a high-octane, body-swap comedy-action spectacle that somehow has more heart than a love letter. It’s hilarious, it’s heartfelt, and it’s a masterclass in reinventing a legacy while honoring its roots.
ACT THREE: THE STAKES RISE – Jumanji: The Next Level (2019)
Just when you thought it was game over… the game glitches.
In 2019’s The Next Level, the characters return, but the rules have changed. Sandstorms rage, ice bridges collapse, and ancient beasts roam the land. This time, even the avatars are confused—trapped in the bodies of cranky grandpas and new allies.
Enter Danny DeVito and Danny Glover, whose souls possess Bravestone and Finbar, delivering a whole new level of comedic brilliance and unexpected emotional depth.
With more danger, more laughs, and more heart, the sequel proved one thing loud and clear: Jumanji isn’t just a game. It’s a test of character.
ACT FOUR: BEYOND THE GAME – WHAT COMES NEXT?
The jungle drums haven’t stopped.
A fourth film is on the horizon, and fans are bracing for another wild adventure. Will the game break into the real world again? Will new players join the quest? Will we finally learn where the cursed game came from?
Whatever happens next, one thing’s for sure: when you hear those tribal drums, it’s already too late to run.
EPILOGUE: WHY WE PLAY
Jumanji is more than a franchise. It’s a living, breathing legend.
It’s about survival. It’s about transformation. But most of all, it’s about discovering who you truly are when the world turns upside down.
From the nostalgic heartache of 1995 to the adrenaline-pumping thrill rides of the 2010s, Jumanji has grown with its audience. It adapts, evolves, and—like the best games—keeps us coming back for one more round.
🎲 In Jumanji, you don’t just play the game. The game plays you.
PEOPLES REVEIW(TAKEN FROM GOOGLE)
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