Resurfaced video shows an 11-year-old Scarlett Johansson auditioning for 'Jumanji': "I wasn't bitter..."
Scarlett Johansson creates magic every time she appears on the big screen. Over the years, Johansson has impressed viewers with her acting chops in movies like 'Lost in Translation', 'The Avengers', and 'Marriage Story'. However, Johansson failed to secure a role in the 1995 adventure film 'Jumanji'. During the early days of her acting career, Johansson auditioned for the part of Judy Shepherd in the effects-heavy fantasy spectacle. Johansson didn’t land the role at the time, but now her audition tape has resurfaced online, sparking buzz. In the video, a young 11-year-old Johansson can be seen auditioning for a part in the Robin Williams film.
The video features Johansson reading her lines from a script, facing an off-camera casting director. With her blonde hair parted down the middle, she delivers her dialogue confidently, appearing completely natural in front of the camera. However, Kirstin Dunst landed the role of Judy Shepherd in the fantasy film 'Jumanji' which is based on Chris Van Allsburg's children's picture book of the same name. Along with Dunst, the film also starred Robin Williams, Jonathan Hyde, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, and Bebe Neuwirth.
Despite losing the part, Johansson didn't have any bitter feelings in her heart. While making an appearance in an episode of 'The Howard Stern Show', Johansson shed light on the missed opportunities throughout her acting career. "No, I wasn't bitter about it enough then. Now I'm bitter about it," Johansson jokingly said, according to Looper. In the same interview, Johansson also revealed that she missed out on the 1998 comedy-drama film 'The Parent Trap'. The twin role eventually went to Lindsay Lohan and the film did wonders for her acting career. Soon after the release, Lohan bagged many Disney projects including television films 'Life-Size', 'Get a Clue', 'Freaky Friday' and 'Confessions of a Teenage Drama Queen'.
'Jumanji', released on December 15, 1995, received mixed reviews from critics but was never-the-less a box-office success. The success led to the spin-off film 'Zathura: A Space Adventure' which saw the light of day in 2005. Later on, down the lane, Jake Kasden worked on the sequel of the film and the fans got to watch 'Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle' in 2017. The movie ended up being a commercial success and grossed $962.5 million worldwide. In 2019, 'Jumanji: The Next Level' went on to gross over $801.6m at the box office.
On the other hand, when we talk about 'Jumanji 4', it's officially in the works. Yeah, you read that right! According to a report by Screenrant, Kasden confirmed back in 2020 that a sequel to 'Jumanji: The Next Level' was in the works. Sony later announced the film's release date for December 11, 2026. As of now, further details about the movie remain under wraps. For those interested, all Jumanji films are currently available for streaming on Amazon Prime Video.