2026 is shaping up to be one of the most crowded moviegoing holiday seasons in recent memory — and it just got even busier. Sony Pictures will now release the untitled “Jumanji 3” on Christmas Day, shifting back from a planned Dec. 11 release.
That new release date now puts the Dwayne Johnson-fronted film in theaters a week after “Dune: Part Three” and “Avengers: Doomsday” open on the same day on Dec. 18. It mirrors “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” opening a week after “Star Wars: The Last Jedi” in 2017, when both films were hits.
The move allows for the family-targeted “Jumanji” audience to flood theaters over the Christmas holiday, presumably after many have already seen “Dune 3” and “Avengers.” This also avoids people skipping “Jumanji” in theaters earlier in the month in favor of a “Dunesday” double feature on Dec. 18.
The only other family film competition in December is from “The Angry Birds Movie 3,” which skews younger and opens on Dec. 21 from Paramount. There may also be carryover from Pixar’s “Hexed,” which opens over Thanksgiving.
Released in 2017, the reboot “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle” was a smash hit, going on to gross over $960 million worldwide as Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan anchored a new story set in the “Jumanji” universe. The film became an example of the power of the holiday season to allow films to play in theaters for weeks, grossing $71.9 million in its first six days in domestic release through Christmas Day and then legging out to a North American run of $404.5 million.
“Jumanji: The Next Level” opened in 2019 and did nearly just as well, grossing over $800 million in another December release slot. Jake Kasdan directed both films and is now back to finish out the trilogy with this untitled third movie, which finds Johnson, Black, Hart and Gillan reprising their roles.
The screenplay for the new film is by Kasdan, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg. Matt Tolmach, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, Hiram Garcia and Jake Kasdan are producing.
Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, Marin Hinkle, Bebe Neuwirth, Lamorne Morris and Rhys Darby are returning for the next installment, with Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes also joining as a new cast members.
