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Monday, July 16, 2018

Will the Sequel to "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" be as Successful as its Predecessor ?



Source: "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" via Facebook

Director Joe Johnston's original "Jumanji" feature (1995) was such an overwhelming fan favorite there was skepticism surrounding a reboot of the franchise in 2017. Luckily, the updated version of the wild animal adventure followed a new path, regarded as more of a sequel to the original than a 'reimagining', keeping fond memories of actor Robin Williams' epic intact, while offering a new direction for another installment in the movie series opening in 2019:


Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was a major hit when it was released, earning a hugely impressive $961 million at the worldwide box office, ranking as the fifth-highest grossing film of the year and motivating Sony's Columbia Pictures to plan for another sequel in 2019. 


The film also received positive reviews, with most critics agreeing it was a humorous update on the source material for modern audiences.


There is certainly potential to expand on this "Jumanji" franchise and turn it into even more of a cash cow, including diversifying across multiple platforms in an effort to attract more viewers to the movies. 


"Jurassic World" (2015) is a prime example of this. The rebooted dinosaur series now spans across mobile gaming, console gaming and iGaming. 


And this helped the dinosaur feature from director Colin Trevorrow become the fourth-highest grossing film of all time. 


There is already a Jumanji online casino slot available to play, incorporating themes from the popular films while also giving players the chance to win money. 


There is also a mobile offering which uses characters from the film.


Despite some negative reviews, earning a score of 51 percent on 'Rotten Tomatoes', the latest installment of the "Jurassic" dinosaur franchise, "Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom" has earned over $1 billion worldwide, thanks to impressive marketing and the way viewers have been attracted through other media. 


If "Jumanji" follows a similar model, there is every chance the next chapter can be even more commercially successful than its predecessors.


The production is also encouraged by the fact that much-loved actors who appeared in "Welcome to the Jungle" are also on board with the sequel.


Dwayne Johnson recently won the 'Kids' Choice Award' for 'Favorite Actor', while his co-stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan were also nominated.


If "Jumanji 3" is released following a strong marketing campaign which takes inspiration from franchises like "Jurassic World", it could do even better than the films that preceded it...


Click the images to enlarge and Sneak Peek "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle"...