First look at Jumanji 3 brings the avatars into our world
The first photo from Jumanji 3 just landed, and it's a fun little jolt: the video game characters aren't stuck in the game anymore - they're here, in the real world. And not just anywhere. A banner behind them plants the scene in Boston at Christmas.
It's a simple image, but it says a lot. The series has always yanked people into the game. This time, the game seems to be stepping out to meet us.
The gang's back together
Front and center are the four avatars fans know by heart: Dwayne Johnson (movies and tv series)'s Dr. Xander "Smolder" Bravestone, Karen Gillan (movies and tv series)'s Ruby Roundhouse, Kevin Hart (movies and tv series)'s Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, and Jack Black (movies and tv series)'s Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon. Seeing them shoulder to shoulder again is a quiet promise: the chemistry that carried the last two hits is still intact.
But the city (movies and tv series) backdrop changes the energy. No jungle. No sand dunes. Just a holiday-time Boston that looks like it's about to have a very weird day.
Flipping the script
In the first two films, the hook was obvious: real teens thrown into a dangerous game. Bringing the avatars into our world flips that setup and opens the door to new kinds of chaos - fish-out-of-water comedy, street-level set pieces, and probably a few "don't press that button" moments in front of confused Bostonians.
Here's what this could mean: more interaction with everyday spaces, more bystanders, and stakes that feel closer. Maybe it's just timing, but the Christmas setting also hints at a warmer, bittersweet tone under the spectacle.
A final chapter, said out loud
This will be the last ride for this era of Jumanji. "What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure," Dwayne Johnson said on Instagram. "Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved JUMANJI franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film."
That's not marketing fluff; it reads like a team deciding to stick the landing instead of dragging things out. Endings matter. Fans feel it when a story knows how to say goodbye.
An homage that actually means something
There's a small detail with big weight: dice. Johnson says his character, Dr. Smolder Bravestone, wears them on a necklace in the film - "the dice from the original 1995 JUMANJI and a way of paying homage, love, and respect to the great Robin Williams (movies and tv series)."
If you grew up with the '95 movie, you don't need that explained. It's a nod to where this series began and why people still care. For a refresher on that first film, here's the original's background on Wikipedia.
Release date and what's next
Jumanji 3 is now in production and set for December 11, 2026. That gives the team time to go big with the real-world twist - and, hopefully, make the goodbye feel earned.
We'll keep an eye on how the Boston setting plays into the action and whether the real-world stakes change the rules of the game. For now, the message is clear: the avatars are out, the holidays are in, and this franchise is getting ready to bow out with heart.
If you want to read more straight from the source, you can keep tabs on updates from Dwayne Johnson on Instagram.
