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Jumanji: Open World Trailer Reveals One Last Roll of the Dice for Dwayne Johnson and His Video Game Friends — and After Black Adam and Moana Flopped, Will It Provide The Rock With a Much-Needed Hit?
Sony has released a new trailer for Jumanji: Open World, the third and reportedly final instalment in the Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson-led Jumanji series. The trailer shows a new cast of characters, alongside returning star Danny DeVito, encountering the franchise's familiar video game avatars—played by Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black—after they and a host of wild animals escape into the real world, prompting the new characters to enter the game themselves.
The film is set for release on Christmas Day 2026, having been pushed back from its original slot to avoid clashing with Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part 3 the month before. It follows a lengthy gap since the last entry in 2019, delayed further by director Jake Kasdan's work on Red One. The release comes at a difficult time for Johnson, whose recent projects—including Red One, the live-action Moana remake and 2022's Black Adam—have underperformed at the box office, while his Oscar bid for The Smashing Machine also failed to land. Sony has confirmed this will be the last Jumanji film for now, despite the previous two instalments performing well commercially.
In short
- New Jumanji: Open World trailer released, out cinemas 25 December 2026
- Billed as the final film in Johnson's Jumanji trilogy
- Comes after a run of box office disappointments for Dwayne Johnson
Steelman: both sides, in good faith
The strongest fair case each way — we don't pick a winner.
The case for
The previous two Jumanji films performed well commercially and established genuine audience affection for the returning characters and their dynamic chemistry. The Christmas Day release slot is strategically positioned during a traditionally strong box office period, and the film combines familiar beloved characters with fresh new cast members to revitalise the concept. As an escapist, family-friendly adventure, Jumanji has proven durable appeal, and the seven-year gap may actually benefit the franchise by allowing anticipation to build rather than inviting audience fatigue.
The case against
Johnson's recent filmography reveals a troubling pattern of box office underperformance across multiple projects—Black Adam, Red One and the Moana remake all failed to meet commercial expectations—suggesting his star power has significantly diminished with audiences. The substantial seven-year gap between instalments risks losing franchise momentum and contemporary relevance, whilst audience tastes may have shifted away from the adventure-comedy tone the series established. His failed Oscar campaign for The Smashing Machine further indicates a broader downturn in his career trajectory, making this film's success far from assured despite the franchise's previous performance.
Explained simply
Jumanji is a fantasy adventure comedy franchise centred on a magical video game that pulls people into its world. When characters enter the game, they adopt different video game avatars with distinctive appearances and abilities, transforming ordinary people into action heroes. The series has been commercially successful, with two previous films released in 2017 and 2019.
The third film reunites the core avatar cast—played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black—alongside new characters and returning actor Danny DeVito. In this instalment, elements from the game escape into the real world, and the new characters must enter the game themselves to handle the situation. The film is scheduled for release on Christmas Day 2026.
This will be the final Jumanji film, ending the franchise after a seven-year gap since the previous entry. The release comes as Johnson's other recent film projects have underperformed commercially.
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