Sony Unveils Jumanji: Open World Trailer for Christmas

Sony Pictures released a new trailer Wednesday for "Jumanji: Open World," director Jake Kasdan's third film in the rebooted franchise, ahead of its Dec. 25 theatrical release, according to Ars Technica.

The trailer shows the game's avatars and animals breaking into the real world, mirroring the premise of the original 1995 film, Ars Technica reports.

What happens in the Jumanji: Open World trailer?

According to the outlet's description, the game itself breaks free of its console in the new film, spilling its chaos into the real world. The body-swapping device that defined the prior two installments returns with new pairings: Spencer's mother, Janice, played by Marin Hinkle, ends up inside the Bravestone avatar, while Spencer himself (Alex Wolff) takes on the Ruby Roundhouse avatar. A kitchen worker named Donatas is stuck in the Shelly Oberon avatar, and Nora's nephew Tyson lands in the Mouse Finbar avatar, Ars Technica reports.

Who is in the cast?

The entire main cast returns, per the outlet: Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone, Jack Black as Shelly Oberon, Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse, Kevin Hart as Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, Nick Jonas as Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough, Awkwafina as Ming Flatfoot, Alex Wolff as Spencer Gilpin, and Ser'Darius Blain as Fridge Johnson. Bebe Neuwirth returns as Nora, a role she also played in the 1995 original, and Rhys Darby returns as Nigel Billingsley. Danny DeVito plays Spencer's grandfather, Eddie. New cast members Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes play Donatas and Tyson, respectively, with Burn Gorman, Nasim Pedrad, and Brittany O'Grady set to appear in roles not yet disclosed, according to Ars Technica.

"We have to be ready for whatever's coming next. If we lose in here, there won't be a home to go back to."

When does Jumanji: Open World come out?

Sony has set the film for a Christmas Day release, one week after "Avengers: Doomsday" and "Dune: Part Three" are expected to dominate mid-December box offices, Ars Technica reports.

How does this film connect to the earlier Jumanji movies?

Kasdan rebooted the franchise with 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle," which turned the original board game into a vintage video-game console and grossed more than $960 million worldwide, according to the outlet. The 2019 sequel, "Jumanji: The Next Level," ended with a mid-credits scene in which a heater repairman played by Lamorne Morris stumbles onto the broken console and accidentally restarts the game — setting up the new film. Production on the third installment was paused during the COVID-19 pandemic before resuming in 2024, Ars Technica reports.

Johnson told reporters in 2019 that The Next Level's in-game villain, Jurgen the Brutal, played by Rory McCann, was secretly controlled by another real-world player — a detail that fueled speculation Open World would widen the game's reach beyond the core group of friends, according to the outlet's prior reporting.

"Jumanji: Open World" is billed by Sony as the final chapter of the trilogy that began with the 2017 reboot.