Dwayne Johnson opens up on possibility of 'Jumanji 3'

Hollywood actor-producer Dwayne Johnson says the prospect of coming out with a third film in the "Jumanji" franchise totally depends on audience reaction to upcoming second part, "Jumanji: The Next Level".

Asked about the plans for the third part, Johnson said: "That depends on the audience. When we made the first one, we thought that the concept was unique and we will see what happens. We never thought of making part two. So, same thing applies here too. We will keep our eyes open and heads to the ground and (see how the second part fares)."

The world of Chris Van Allsburg's book "Jumanji", narrating the story of a young Alan Parrish getting trapped in a board game, found its way to the silver screen in 1995. Robin Williams was its main lead.

From getting lost in the transit, tackling monkeys and battling other odds, the movie revolved around how Parrish gets stuck in the board game and comes back as an adult, and how he has to finish the game with his friends to escape the fate he called upon himself by rolling the dice.

In 2017, the story came back on the big screen with a modern twist. In "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle", a group of high school students gets lost in the jungle after laying their hands on a video game console featuring a version of the game Jumanji.

Despite glossing up the story with a digital touch, the makes retained the essence of the tale as well as the magical elements. And they will be back with more chaotic fun and another adventurous ride to the jungle with "Jumanji: The Next Level".

The movie stars Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Jack Black and Nick Jonas. New addition to the cast include Awkwafina, Danny DeVito and Danny Glover.

"We were keenly aware of the fortunate success of 'Jumanji…'. We wanted to raise the bar to be bigger and better. But we wanted to make sure that we are still connected with the foundation of the first one, which made it unique and appealing all around the world," Johnson said.

"We had an opportunity to introduce new characters. It was great," he added.

"Jumanji: The Next Level" picks up where 2017's "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" left off. But there is one difference.

The twist is that the grandfathers (played by DeVito and Glover) of two original players get transported into the game as Johnson and Hart's avatars.

Talking about it, Johnson said: "It was a real honour to portray Danny Devito, and embody him. The cool magic of Jumanji is that it gives an opportunity to embody other people and take you to multiple universes. Kevin and I have admired these guys. They are legends and both Danny's come with their distinct style. Working with them was a lot of fun."

Sony Pictures Entertainment India will release "Jumanji: The Next Level" on December 13, 2019 in Hindi, English, Tamil and Telugu.