Get ready to shout "Jumanji!" in the name of family fun at a thematically appropriate real-life backdrop!The U.K.-based theme park Chessington World of Adventures Resort released two stunning images on Twitter previewing its upcoming Jumanji park area "World of Jumanji." The mockups show tourists walking through a jungle-themed gate and approaching a roller coaster track looped around a statue resembling Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle's Jaguar Shrine. "Are you brave enough to enter the World of Jumanji, coming to Chessington in spring 2023?" the post teased, confirming the exhibit's opening date.
According to a Variety profile, World of Jumanji cost £17 million as part of a joint deal between Sony Pictures and Chessington parent company Merlin Entertainments. On the partnership's future, Sony Pictures Entertainment's Jeffrey Godsick told Variety "After being entertained by the films for so many years, fans now have the chance to experience 'Jumanji' in a whole new dimension and we are thrilled to be going on this exciting adventure with the creative team at Chessington as Jumanji further expands with its very own themed land."
Released in 1981 by Chris Van Allsburg, the original Jumanji book followed siblings Judy and Peter Shepherd as they play an enchanted board game that, with each dice roll, unleashes some form of hostile wildlife onto their home. Sony later adapted this book into a 1995 film but expanded upon its story, with the kids' playthrough releasing Alan Parrish (Robin Williams) -- their home's former resident who had been trapped in Jumanji's world for 26 years -- back into the real world. This forces Judy, Peter and Alan to finish his game alongside their own, recruiting the assistance of Alan's former friend Sarah Whittle (Bonnie Hunt) who played with him as a child.
Despite receiving mixed reviews, Jumanji's success inspired a 1996 animated series that loosely retold the movie's story, albeit with Judy and Peter going into Jumanji's world each episode to solve missions alongside Alan. Sony also released an adaptation of Jumanji's literary sequel, Zathura, in 2005, directed by Jon Favreau, though no connections to the book or film were mentioned.
2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle served as a soft reboot for the original film, following four high schoolers who unwittingly get transported to a video game version of Jumanji as their gaming avatars, played by Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Gillan. Despite its contemporary premise, Welcome to the Jungle featured a loose connection to Williams' character, with player character Jefferson McDonough (Nick Jonas) revealing that he lives in a treehouse built by Alan Parish. A sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, was released in 2019 and a third film is currently in development.
Source: Twitter via Variety