Dwayne Johnson’s Best Video Game Movie Is Dominating The Streaming Charts
Dwayne Johnson's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle is currently sitting 9th on Hulu.
One of Johnson’s most popular features, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, is currently sitting in 9th place on Hulu, proving that the actor’s success doesn’t end on the big screen. If there’s one person film studios can consistently rely on to maximize box office profits and even save struggling franchises such as Fast and the Furious and G.I. Joe, it’s Dwayne Johnson.
The former wrestling sensation turned actor has headlined dozens of features that have grossed over $3.5 million in North America and over $10.5 billion worldwide, making him one of the most accomplished and highest-grossing box-office stars in history.
Jumanji was released in 1995 to moderate box-office success, and plans for a sequel were put forth by Sony Pictures Entertainment in the late 90s. Although several ideas for the follow-up were pitched to the studio and seemingly countless writers and directors came and went on the project, nothing ever came to fruition.
It wasn’t until 2012 that rumors began to circulate that a remake was in development, and once Sony made the project a high priority in 2015, Dwayne Johnson was attached to star in the film the following year.
During Cinemacon in March 2017, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, was confirmed to be the movie’s official title. Although fans debated whether the film was a sequel or a reboot, a second trailer released that September put their speculation to rest, indicating the feature was a sequel set over two decades after Jumanji. Dwayne Johnson noted before the film’s release that the story was inspired by classic video games of the 90s.
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was released in theaters December 20th, 2017, and it earned approximately $36 million in its opening weekend. Typically, a film with first weekend numbers like that finishes its theatrical run between $100 to $150 million domestically, but Welcome to the Jungle concluded its time on the big screen with a whopping $404 million at the domestic box-office, and a massive $962 million worldwide total.
Positive word-of-mouth from fans and Dwayne Johnson headlining the feature are two major factors that undoubtedly contributed to the sequel’s success.
In addition to Dwayne Johnson, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle stars Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, and Alex Wolff. The story centers on four teenagers who are sucked into a magical video game, and the only way they can escape is to work together to complete the game. Jake Kasdan directed the movie from a script written by Chris McKenna, Erik Sommers, Jeff Pinkner, and Scott Rosenberg.
Welcome to the Jungle served as the perfect Christmas outing for families, consisting of light-hearted humor, as well as jokes catered specifically toward adult viewers. It should come as no surprise that the sequel currently sits on Rotten Tomatoes with an 87% fresh rating from audiences.
As far as critical reception, the movie sits with a 76% fresh rating from 270 reviews, with many critics praising the performances by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black.
After Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle proved to be a massive hit for Sony Pictures Entertainment, the studio was quick to greenlight a sequel. Jumanji: The Next Level brought back most of the talent from the first film including director Jake Kasdan, writers Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg, and stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan. The follow-up was released in theaters December 13th, 2019.
The Next Level pulled in close to $60 million in its opening weekend, far exceeding Welcome to the Jungle’s first weekend numbers, but the sequel finished its theatrical run behind its predecessor, with a worldwide total of $800 million. The follow-up was just about on par with the previous franchise entry as far as reception, with a 71% fresh rating from critics on Rotten Tomatoes and an 87% fresh rating from audiences. As far as sequels are concerned, any studio would be happy with those results.
In Jumanji: The Next Level, Spencer ventures back into the world of the game, and his friends Martha, Fridge, and Bethany are forced to re-enter the magical world of Jumanji to bring him home. Unfortunately, they discover that the game is broken and fighting back. Although the characters are switched up in the first half of the film, the second half sees Dwayne Johnson and the rest of the cast return to the roles they portrayed in Welcome to the Jungle.
A fourth entry in the Jumanji series has been discussed, but the project has not been officially announced by Sony. Given how successful the last two installments were, it’s unclear why the studio is sitting on the franchise.
While fans wait for confirmation that development on a fourth film is moving forward, you can witness Dwayne Johnson attempt to rescue the struggling DC Extended Universe with the October 21st release of Black Adam.
