Danny DeVito Is The Latest Star To Join Dwayne ‘The Rock’ Johnson In ‘Jumanji’ Sequel
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was one of the surprise hits of 2018, so it should be no surprise that Sony is hard at work on a sequel. The original starred Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan. Now the cast is only growing as the studios work to add even more star power to the roster. Recently confirmed is the participation of Awkwafina, best known for her breakout role in Crazy Rich Asians. And Variety just reported that Always Sunny In Philadelphia star Danny DeVito will be joining the film as well.
The Jumanji reboot pulled in an astounding $962 million worldwide, far eclipsing the Robin Williams original, which made a very respectable $262.8 million back in 1995. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle did so well in the U.S. that the Hollywood Reporter notes it is Sony’s top-grossing title ever at the domestic box office, surpassing the studio’s original 2002 Spider-Man film. The reboot updated the original Jumanji concept which saw teens trapped inside a magical board game, switching the board game for a video game. The teens were also put into the body of video game characters played by Johnson, Hart, Black, and Gillen.
“The magic of Jumanji is who becomes who,” Dwayne Johnson told Variety. “And the idea of Danny DeVito joining our cast was too irresistible and something we knew we wanted to deliver to our audience this upcoming Christmas. Dwanta Claus loves everyone.”
Jake Kasdan, the son of Star Wars scriptwriter Lawrence Kasdan, returns to the director’s chair and is also credited as a writer alongside Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. No details on the plot for Jumanji 2 (or 3 depending on how you’re counting) have been revealed, and it’s unclear whether the jungle theme from the first movies will continue or if the cursed video game console will bring players into an entirely new environment this time. Also undefined: Danny DeVito’s role in the movie, which Variety says is being kept “under wraps.”
The 74-year-old DeVito has been keeping busy in his old age. In addition to being a part of the Jumanji reboot sequel being targeted for a Christmas 2019 release, he’s expected to film a 14th season of It’s Always Sunny In Philadelphia for FX. Also set to come out in 2019 are two movies he made for Disney: Tim Burton’s live-action Dumbo and an animated film based on the children’s book The One And Only Ivan.
As for Dwayne Johnson, even a change in Jumanji scenery won’t keep his fans from getting some more jungle action. As per the Inquisitr, he stars in the upcoming Disney film Jungle Cruise, set to come out in summer of 2020. Yes, you’re right: it’s another film based on a Disney ride. But considering the amount of money made by the Pirates of the Caribbean franchise and Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, we wouldn’t be surprised if Jungle Cruise ends up being another solid gold hit for Disney and “The Rock.”
