The original Jumanji movie was released in 1995, but 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rebooted the franchise with a video game backdrop and proved to be a massive success. The Next Level was also a hit, with a whopping $797 million at the worldwide box office and positive reviews.
That loaded into theaters in 2019, but for some reason, Sony Pictures has left the franchise on the shelf ever since. Guardians of the Galaxy and Doctor Who star Karen Gillan played Ruby Roundhouse in the movie, a tongue-in-cheek take on Tomb Raider lead, Lara Croft.
At the time, some backlash was aimed at the character's revealing costume, especially with Gillan serving as Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level's sole female lead. Talking to The i News (via GameFragger.com), the actor admitted she still gets some "flak" for her outfit.
"I can understand where people are coming from. But it was a commentary on Lara Croft, the male gaze," Gillan explained. "Those are not practical clothes at all."
She added, "You’re usually looking at 15-hour days on film sets. It’s not a sustainable existence. I thought that was normal until now. Men will come in for, like, 15 minutes. And we’re there for hours."
"[The Rock] comes in for probably five minutes before he starts," Gillan noted. "I mean, he’s great. If I could be ready in five minutes, I’d be happy. But women – who wear more make-up, have more hair styling – are in that trailer two hours before the day starts."
A new Tomb Raider project is in the works, with Game of Thrones star Sophie Turner set to lead the cast as Lara Croft. Phoebe Waller-Bridge is serving as showrunner, and we'd imagine the planned Prime Video series will avoid utilising Lara's skimpy outfits from the games to avoid similar backlash.
We recently caught up with Jumanji franchise star Madison Iseman, and she shared a positive update on where things stand with a possible threequel.
"My lips are sealed! I don't know, we'll have to wait and see, but there's been some rumblings," Iseman teased. "That'll all I can say right now..."
If The Smashing Machine is any indication, Dwayne Johnson is eager to move on from popcorn movies and action blockbusters. That makes his Jumanji return seem somewhat unlikely, but The Next Level set the stage for the franchise to continue in a multitude of ways.
Are you hoping for another Jumanji movie? Let us know your thoughts in the usual place.