SUBMITTED BY Toad
April 25, 2002 — Coming Soon learns interesting news from Variety regarding a sequel to "Jumanji."
Variety reports Columbia Pictures is trying again in its long effort to mount a sequel to "Jumanji," the 1995 blockbuster that has proved a tough act to follow. The studio, which has been through numerous directors and spent many, many millions of dollars to develop script drafts that were scrapped, has sparked to a take on the sequel given by Dennis Dugan ("Beverly Hills Ninja," "Big Daddy," "Saving Silverman," "National Security"), who's negotiating to direct a film based on a story he has outlined. The studio is now hunting writers, with Peter Ackerman ("Ice Age") mentioned as a likely participant, says the trade. Col's also talking to former United Artists head Lindsay Doran to help shape the script.
Dugan, who had an inventive take that offered the potential to keep Robin Williams in the sequel, said "They never solved the sequel, but when we pitched my idea two weeks ago, they said they loved it. I loved the first film, and they were going in a different direction three years ago when I first expressed interest. Then I'd see another writer-director come on, and felt bummed that I'd missed this opportunity."
Dugan's plan is to concentrate on tapping the full visual potential of the board game that gives the film its title. "The way we want to do it actually works its way back to Robin, and gives him more of an opportunity to be funny than the original did. The main thing is this is an opportunity to make an equal sequel, not a rehash of old effects."
Dugan added his UTA reps were negotiating a deal that could have him in production before year's end, but Columbia wouldn't confirm that anything is firm. If Dugan is successful in mounting "Jumanji 2," it should put a franchise-fat Sony and Radar in fine shape for a triple play. They're also developing Van Allsburg's upcoming picture book "Zathura," which involves an intergalactic board game tied into the Jumanji game. A script's being written by Eric Fogel, creator and exec producer of MTV's "Celebrity Death Match," and the pic could very well be "Jumanji 3," a source said. |
