With so many massive studio tentpoles springing up all over, you’d be forgiven for letting the gestating Jumanji remake slip your mind. The rework of the ’90s kid-friendly fantasy film, playing under the somewhat unwieldy title Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (yeah, tack the tagline right onto the title, why not!) will come to theaters December 20, but prying eyes have already ensnared some key details about the film. There was the whole brouhaha surrounding Karen Gillan’s hilariously impractical jungle outfit and her mealy-mouthed explanation as to why her character had to get all hotted up for a nature expedition, a controversy I have dubbed Midriffgate, and now today brings news of another curious detail of story.
You really have no idea how loved a movie is until a studio announces plans to reboot it — such is the case with Jumanji, the 1995 film starring Robin Williams, which performed pretty well at the box office but didn’t leave a big impression on critics and (adult) audiences. But reactions to Dwayne Johnson’s new Jumanji movie offer a valuable lesson in the power of nostalgia, as fans have been quick to cry foul on the reboot. Johnson has heard you, and not only is he committed to making the best reboot possible, but he’s also found a “cool” way to honor the memory of Robin Williams.