Dwayne Johnson confirms ‘Jumanji 4’ has begun filming, and drops a bombshell fans weren’t expecting
The drums of ‘Jumanji’ are beating once again. After months of silence surrounding the future of the beloved adventure franchise, Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson has finally broken the news fans have been waiting for. The actor took to Instagram to announce that the next ‘Jumanji’ movie has officially begun production, and his words suggest that this might be the end of the game as we know it. Sharing a carousel of photos and clips from a cast table read in Los Angeles, Johnson revealed that he and his co-stars (Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan) are back together to bring the upcoming sequel to life.
In his caption, Johnson wrote, “Officially kicking off production of JUMANJI at our cast table read in Los Angeles — where we will film as well. What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure. Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved JUMANJI franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film.” The announcement came as a surprise to fans who didn’t know the series might be concluding. While the movie had already been added to Sony’s 2026 release calendar last month, there was little indication that it would serve as the franchise’s swan song.
Johnson’s message, however, makes it sound like the upcoming film will bring the current ‘Jumanji’ era to a definitive close. The photos shared by Johnson show the core cast smiling and laughing around a long table covered in scripts; a joyful reunion after several years apart. “Amazing to get the whole gang back together, and our jaws were hurting from laughing so hard,” Johnson wrote. “We all talked about how much we’ve missed this kind of joy and fun. Let’s make a good one.” Per Cinemablend, the next ‘Jumanji’ film, currently untitled, is scheduled to arrive in theaters on December 11, 2026, with filmmaker Jake Kasdan returning to direct.
Kasdan previously helmed ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017) and ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ (2019), both of which became massive hits. For fans, the long wait since ‘The Next Level’ has been filled with theories about where the story could go next. That film ended on a surprising note, with the creatures of the game crossing into the real world, a twist that harkened back to the 1995 ‘Jumanji’ movie led by Robin Williams. Given that cliffhanger, it seems likely that the upcoming movie will mix both realities for an even higher-stakes adventure.
Johnson also gave fans a small but emotional detail from the production. His character, Dr. Smolder Bravestone, will wear a dice necklace marked with the number three. The actor explained that the necklace isn’t just a costume piece, but an “Easter egg” meant to pay “homage, love and respect to the great Robin Williams.” While the story and official title remain under wraps, Johnson’s tone makes it clear that this film will have a sense of finality. It’s something fans aren’t quite ready for, but will likely appreciate once the journey concludes.
