How Pixar Figured Out How To Tell More Stories After Toy Story 3’s Ending

How Pixar Figured Out How To Tell More Stories After Toy Story 3’s Ending

For a lot of people, Toy Story is an absolutely perfect trilogy. It tells a complete story over the course of three movies and comes to a perfect, and perfectly satisfying, end. However, many of those fans who felt the story had reached a perfect end are now largely concerned, because Toy Story 4 is on the way and it's ready to continue the story we thought was finished.

Last month I got to sit down with Toy Story 4 director Josh Cooley and Producers Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen, and the three of them spoke to me about how, while they agreed that the ending of Toy Story 3 was something special, it wasn't quite the ending that many people thought it was. Eventually, Toy Story 4 found its story by realizing that the first three movies weren't about Andy, but actually all about Woody, which meant there was clearly story left to be told. As Jonas Rivera told me...

In a weird way, Toy Story 3’s ending helped us, because it felt like a little bit of a misdirection. It was this idea that, if Toy Story 3 is an end. I mean really, the saga of Toy Story is about Woody, right? We kinda kicked that around for a while. He’s the protagonist. Andy’s a driver of the story but Woody is the main character.

It's the simplest idea in the world to be sure, but one that could be easily overlooked, the Toy Story movies are about Woody. Andy is only actually important to the story of the first three because he is important to Woody, we only really see him through Woody's eyes.

Certainly, much like Andy, Woody's story has come full circle, but just because he's back to being the toy of a young child, doesn't mean that Woody's life hasn't drastically changed. Woody now finds himself the property of Bonnie, in a new home with a bunch of new toys in addition to the ones that he's known. In the end, it was the simple idea that "what if this time things were different this time" that led to the story that became Toy Story 4. Again, from Jonas Rivera...

What that was, was just that idea of like, what if you took Woody, and [had] gone through everything that he’s done, tracked it, and he’s always landed on his feet. He literally gets a second chance. What if we could dramatize something about that second chance and show that it wasn’t the same, he’s didn’t land in the same spot. It is different. It is upending his life in ways he hasn’t experienced before.

Pixar creates some pretty interesting worlds, to be sure, and if you look too closely at them, they tend to fall apart, but the simple fact is that in the world of Toy Story, these characters aren't simply toys. They are conscious living being, and that means that just because ownership of them might change, things don't simply reset. The lives of these characters move forward and that's what is happening to Woody in Toy Story 4.

I got a chance to see a significant part of Toy Story 4 while visiting Pixar Animation Studios in Emeryville, CA last month. As part of that, I can certainly say that Toy Story 4, while still feeling like another Toy Story movie, also very clearly feels like a necessary and important chapter in that larger story. This is a piece of Woody's life that has value and it feels like it will all be a story worth telling.

Early in the new movie we see that Woody isn't the favorite toy that he once was. He's also not the defacto leader of the group. His status in the bedroom isn't what it once was, and while Woody rolls with the punches pretty well, he's clearly found himself in unfamiliar territory.

Director Josh Cooley compared Woody's situation to a parent dealing with "empty nest syndrome" after the kids have moved out of the house. Woody's relationship with Andy, while being his toy, was also that of a caretaker, Woody watched out for Andy and tried to keep him safe. Now that's successfully done that, what's next?

The idea that there still was a "next chapter" for Woody was vital to the trio of Josh Cooley, Jonas Rivera and Mark Nielsen as they were among those who loved the ending of Toy Story 3, and as such, even they only wanted to make Toy Story 4 if there was a compelling reason to do so.

We were among the people saying 'Toy Story 3 was a great ending, so you better not just make another adventure.’ We can’t have this feel like ‘oh, we forgot a part, audience.’

Certainly, the audience doesn't want to feel that way either. Fans almost certainly want to love the new Toy Story, even if they're not so sure about it. We'll all find out whether this story was really necessary when the movie arrives June 21.

The Avengers: Endgame Plot Twist That Is Both Fitting And Frustrating

The Avengers: Endgame Plot Twist That Is Both Fitting And Frustrating

Warning: MAJOR SPOILERS for Avengers: Endgame are ahead!

For years, Marvel Cinematic Universe fans have prepared themselves for two possibilities concerning Steve Rogers: that he’ll die and that the Captain America mantle would be passed along to a worthy successor. Cut to Avengers: Endgame, Steve is still alive, although now an old man due to traveling back to the 1940s and living a life with Peggy Carter. So even with that Super Soldier Serum coursing through his veins, he likely doesn’t have that many years left.

However, as far as the Captain America identity is concerned, Steve did indeed pick a successor: his longtime friend and crimefighting partner, Sam Wilson, a.k.a. Falcon. We’ll have to wait until the Falcon and Winter Soldier Disney+ series premieres to see if Sam dons his own red, white and blue uniform, but him being chosen to be the next Captain America was one of Avengers: Endgame’s most touching moments, and it definitely makes sense for Sam to take over for a variety of reasons.

However, this moment also came at the expense of Bucky Barnes, a.k.a. Winter Soldier, who, despite also being close with Steve Rogers, was sidelined in Steve’s final scene, even though their friendship has been spotlighted much more throughout the MCU. It’s not an issue of Bucky deserving the virbranium shield over Sam, but the fact that he didn’t get a proper final goodbye with his longtime friend. Thus, it all results in Endgame’s Captain America change-up feeling both fitting and frustrating.

Let’s start off with why it’s fitting that Sam Wilson is now the new Captain America. Getting the obvious reason out of the way first, it’s inspired by the source material. Half a decade ago in the comics, Steve Rogers was drained of the Super Soldier Serum, which aged him to an old man. Because he was no longer physically capable of being Captain America anymore, he appointed Sam to be the new Captain America.

Sam Wilson had a solid run as the Star Spangled Avenger, blending the patriotic motif with his longtime Falcon look. Sam has since reverted to being 100% Falcon, but his time as Captain America definitely stands out in the Marvel canon. But hey, Bucky Barnes also became Captain America in the comics, so why does it make more sense for Anthony Mackie’s Sam to inherit the mantle rather than Sebastian Stan’s Bucky?

For one thing, even when Bucky was serving as Captain America on the printed page, the only reason he initially filled Steve Rogers’ shoes was because he didn’t trust anyone else to be Cap. As time wore on, he started to feel more comfortable in the role, and he even continued on as Captain America for a little bit after Steve Rogers came back to life. But eventually, he went back to serving as plain ol’ Winter Soldier, which will always be a better fit for him.

Ultimately, it boils down to Bucky’s tragic past. Whether he was a brainwashed assassin for the Soviet Union or HYDRA, he will always be weighed down by those decades when he wasn’t in control and force to kill scores of people. He’s seeking redemption for all the harm he caused, but being Captain America is not the way to go about doing that.

In the case of Sebastian Stan’s Bucky Barnes, if he had his way, he wouldn’t be fighting at all, as evidenced by how he was leading a quiet life in Wakanda before the events of Avengers: Infinity War unfolded. Alas, life doesn’t always give us what we want, and for now, Bucky’s still in the superhero game. But as Winter Soldier, he still do some good and carve out his own legacy, and it’s also a better identity to rock when going on covert missions.

As far as Sam Wilson goes, while he’s certainly not free from darkness or inner turmoil, he’s ultimately a more hopeful and optimistic character. He can serve as a better beacon of positivity to the public than Bucky can, not to mention that he isn’t weighed down by the same kind of baggage. Bucky didn’t bomb the Vienna UN summit in Captain America: Civil War, but as far as the general public is concerned, he’s still a wanted criminal.

There’s also the fact that since he was unfrozen, Steve Rogers has spent way more time with Sam Wilson than he has with Bucky Barnes. This wasn’t a purposeful decision, just a matter of circumstance given Bucky’s unusual situation. Nevertheless, Steve and Bucky definitely aren’t the same men they were during World War II, and one could argue that Steve and Sam now have a closer relationship, hence why the former knew the latter was a better fit for the Captain America mantle.

So now that the Captain America of it all has been addressed, let’s go back to Bucky Barnes’ overall role in Captain America’s final Avengers: Endgame scene. Before heading into the Quantum Realm, Steve and Bucky had a reversed back-and-forth of their interaction in Captain America: The First Avenger (“Don’t do anything stupid until I come back.” “How can I? You’re taking all the stupid with you.”), but Bucky also seemed to know that Steve didn’t plan on coming back, and when we spotted Old Man Steve at the nearby bench, Bucky allowed Sam to talk to him first.

Avengers: Endgame directors Joe and Anthony Russo have since confirmed that Bucky Barnes was aware that Steve Rogers intended to stay in the past, with Joe saying to EW:

Especially when he says goodbye. He says, ‘I’ll miss you.’ Clearly he knows something.

Okay, so evidently Steve informed Bucky of his plan ahead of time, which is fine. It enhances the surprise of seeing Steve as an old man, and I also don’t mind that Sam and Steve were conversing privately for the handoff of the shield.

The problem is that the meaningful farewell these two shared occurred offscreen. We never see these two share a proper goodbye. They might not be as close as they once were, but Steve and Bucky are still tight, and given all the time the MCU has spent highlighting their friendship, you’d that would warrant the audience get to see one last meaningful moment with each other.

Bucky Barnes has been a part of the Captain America mythology since the very beginning and was a key player in all of the Star-Spangled Avenger’s films. For all we know, Chris Evans will never reprise Steve Rogers again, so it’s a shame that Steve and Bucky might never share screen time again. It’s great that Steve informed Bucky about what he planned to do, but we the viewers deserved a better final interaction between the two on the big screen.

Of course, as mentioned earlier, Disney+ has that Falcon and Winter Soldier series coming up, so maybe this isn’t the end of Steve’s time with Bucky and/or Sam. Maybe that show has Chris Evans lined up to make a cameo as Old Man Steve in an episode or two.

Still, given that Avengers: Endgame concluded the Infinity Saga and wrapped up a lot of lingering plot threads, not to mention that not everyone who watches the MCU movies will necessarily watch the Disney+ shows, it would have been better if the movie had better closed the book on Steve and Bucky’s time together, like it did with Steve and Sam. It would have been appropriate and likely squeezed out a few extra cries in a movie that was already quite the tearjerker.

Let us know what you thought of how Avengers: Endgame handled the Captain America twist in the comments below, and be sure to read CinemaBlend’s review of the latest MCU movie.

Maisie Williams Drops F-Bomb Over The New Mutants’ Fate

Maisie Williams Drops F-Bomb Over The New Mutants’ Fate

Josh Boone's The New Mutants is currently quite the enigma. Thanks primarily to the Disney-Fox merger, the project has existed in a nebulous state for months now, and nobody seems to be quite sure what its ultimate fate is going to be. This clearly extends to the cast as well, as Maisie Williams recently dropped some profanity-laced comments that basically sum up everything we know about the state of the film:

Who knows when the fuck that’s gonna come out.

That statement comes from an interview that Maisie Williams recently did with Rolling Stone, paired with her Game of Thrones co-star Sophie Turner. Most of the piece is about the two actress' experience making the beloved HBO series leading up to its final season, but a portion of the conversation turned at one point to The New Mutants. Another thing that both Williams and Turner have in common is the fact that they are part of upcoming X-Men projects, but while the latter has Dark Phoenix confirmed for release this June, the former doesn't have much clue what's going to happen with her's.

A significant part of the problem here is the fact that The New Mutants has been planning reshoots, but those reshoots still haven't happened. As explained by Maisie Williams in the interview, the extra days of production are supposed to help the film be a bit scarier - in an attempt, presumably, to try and take advantage of the current horror boom - but if new material has been written, it still hasn't been shot.

In The New Mutants, Maisie Williams is set to portray the first live-action version of Rahne Sinclair a.k.a. Wolfsbane, a mutant who has the ability to shapeshift into both a wolf and a werewolf-like hybrid. She is part of a talented ensemble that includes Anya Taylor-Joy (Illyana Rasputin a.k.a. Magik), Charlie Heaton (Sam Guthrie a.k.a. Cannonball), Blu Hunt (Danielle Moonstar), and Henry Zaga (Roberto da Costa a.k.a. Sunspot), and the story finds them as dangerous young mutants grouped together in a hospital where they can try and gain control over their abilities.

Speaking of the rest of the cast, apparently nobody really seems to know what's going on - or at least that's the sense that Maisie Williams has provided. According to the actress, she recently saw Charlie Heaton, and learned that he has about as much information about The New Mutants as she does.

Right now the movie is on the release calendar for August 2nd, but it's unclear if that date is actually going to happen. For what it's worth, though, it seems that Maisie Williams is eager for the film to be completed and released. Not only did she express hope that the Rolling Stone interview would help light a fire under those making decisions for The New Mutants, but she wants to somehow get the opportunity to star opposite Sophie Turner as Jean Grey in another X-Men title:

It would be ridiculously stupid if they didn’t do that.

We're clearly still in "wait and see" mode when it comes to New Mutants, but you can be sure that as more information about the film becomes available, we'll have them for you here.

Shazam Was Made Into A Life-Sized Phone Charger, And There's Video

Shazam Was Made Into A Life-Sized Phone Charger, And There's Video

In the very first trailer for DC’s Shazam! we see Zachary Levi’s Billy Batson using his newfound superpowers to correct one of the first-world’s most troubling ills, inferior battery technology. The hero uses the lightning power of Zeus to do people a solid, topping off their phone batteries. It’s a super cool way to charge your phone, so cool in fact that Shazam was made into a life-sized phone charger, check it out:

I only have one question: how much? In his Instagram post, Shazam! director David F. Sandberg wonders whether it is the world’s most expensive phone charger so I’m guessing the answer is ‘a lot’, although maybe less than Shazam’s seven-figure suit. Whatever it is, it might be worth it though. Imagine having friends over and they ask if they can charge their phones, only for you to point them to the Shazam statue taking up half your living room.

This Shazam phone charger looks heavy and highly detailed too; you can even see the texture on his suit and the boots. Sadly, this live-sized Shazam doesn’t appear as though it actually shoots lightning out of its fingertips like the scene in the trailer. That’s probably for the best though because even the fanciest modern phones don’t support that format.

Therefore you have to plug in your phone via USB on the base of the charger, like you would with any $10 charger. Maybe those ports charge ultra fast. Even if they don’t, Shazam’s finger lights up, as does the lightning bolt symbol on his chest, and he even has a voice function like a giant action figure, saying “Your phone’s charged.” So even if it's basically charging your phone as normal, you'll feel way better about it.

The charger's effects mirror the delightful scene from the film where the young superhero does what any kid with powers would do, show them off and use them in silly ways to improve everyday life. This phone charger is one very cool bit of functional marketing or, if it winds up being for sale, memorabilia that deep-pocketed DC fans can lust after.

Shazam! is looking to begin paying off that expensive phone charger when it opens in theaters in April. The film is tracking to enjoy a $40 million to $45 million opening weekend. Word of mouth should be good too. Although the full reviews haven’t dropped yet, the early reactions are incredibly positive indicating that DC is really on a roll.

Shazam! bolts into theaters on April 5th, make sure you charge your phone before you see it and then turn it off in the theater. Should this Shazam phone charger go on sale, we’ll keep you updated. In the meantime check out our 2019 Release Schedule to keep track of all the biggest movies headed to theaters this year.

Colin Farrell Loved The Dumbo Sets So Much He Spent Extra Time Just Wandering Around

Colin Farrell Loved The Dumbo Sets So Much He Spent Extra Time Just Wandering Around

Few auteurs have made as big an impact on modern cinema than Tim Burton. The filmmaker’s style is identifiable from a mile away, and it’s a specific aesthetic that has driven some of the most visually interesting features to be released in the last 35 years. His work possesses many charms, including a wonderful practicality, and it’s that particular element of Burton’s filmmaking process that really boggled the mind of Colin Farrell in the making of Dumbo.

Unlike many of the stars of the new Disney film (including Eva Green, Danny DeVito, and Michael Keaton), Colin Farrell didn’t have the experience of working with Tim Burton prior to the making of the new live-action adaptation, but that just meant that the entire experience was brand new to him. This was something that he very much reveled in during production, as he recently told me about how he would actually spend extra time on set when nobody was around, taking it all in. Discussing his expectations for working with Burton, Farrell explained,

I expected... My mind is not potent enough to have expected the degree of elaborateness that was present on the sets of this film. But I knew that it would be elaborate, and I knew that it would be big, and I knew that it would be beautiful, and colorful, and noisy. But I had no idea. And when I saw some of the sets, I mean they were just the most beautiful, you know? I'd find myself walking on to the sets when there was nobody there and just looking around.

Colin Farrell wore his appreciation for the beauty of Tim Burton’s Dumbo on his sleeve when I had the opportunity to sit down with him earlier this month during the new film’s Los Angeles press junket. During the interview he mentioned that he had met the director years before making the new movie – specifically they had a chat while drinking coffee poolside at the Roosevelt Hotel (don’t you just love Hollywood?) – but that meeting apparently didn’t fully prepare the actor for the experience of collaborating with the filmmaker. So when he arrived and saw the massive, practical, and colorful sets that had been built for the live-action adaptation of the Disney animated classic, he was really blown away.

There are some actors who can’t get off set fast enough when they are done with a day of production on a movie, but that most definitely wasn’t the case for Colin Farrell in the making of Dumbo. Instead, he found that the experience of being alone on the massive circus sets that had been built overwhelmed him with emotions – particularly a thankfulness that he has a life that allows him to be a part of beautiful art. Said Farrell,

And talk about moments of nostalgia! Even though I didn't have relationship with Dumbo or circuses, it's just honestly a lot of gratitude, actually, for living in such a beautiful world, and being a part of telling a story, albeit for a finite moment in time.

In Dumbo, Colin Farrell stars as Holt Farrier, a circus performer who we first meet at the start of the story when he returns from fighting in World War I. He is beyond elated to once again be with his two children, Milly (Nico Parker) and Joe (Finley Hobbins), but he’s also not quite the man he used to be, as an injury sustained during battle led to him losing his left arm. He does his best to try and return his life to what it was before he left, but finds challenges from his disability. It’s a scary and hard time, but optimism soon arrives in the form of a young elephant with ears so big that they allow it to fly.

The seventeenth film from Tim Burton, and also starring Alan Arkin in addition to all the names mentioned above, Dumbo will soon be arriving in theaters – scheduled to land on March 29th. Between now and then, be sure to stay tuned here on CinemaBlend, as we have plenty more coming from my interviews with the movie’s cast and filmmakers.

Rocketman’s Richard Madden Doesn’t Agree With Editing Out Gay Sex Scenes

Rocketman’s Richard Madden Doesn’t Agree With Editing Out Gay Sex Scenes

It’s not often that two music icons who rose to fame in the same era and have inspiring stories to tell get their turn at a big screen moment. Then there is Bohemian Rhapsody and Rocketman. The two biopics have the common thread of having Dexter Fletcher behind the camera at one point or another, though they take two different stances on the stars’ sexual identities.

Bohemian Rhapsody was a massive success that both garnered awards attention and earned over $900 million worldwide, making it the highest grossing music biopic of all time. However, some had one gripe with the Queen celebration: how it censored and “straight-washed” Freddie Mercury’s sexual identity. The producers chalked the choices up to intending to tell the story to a wider audience.

As Hollywood passes the microphone over to the tale of Elton John in Rocketman, the movie has taken an an R-rated approach that doesn’t shy away from gay sex scenes and the musician’s past drug use, including the movie being framed around his stint in rehab. However, rumors had emerged prior about the studio’s intention to cut a nude scene between Taron Egerton’s John and Richard Madden’s John Reid.

Director Dexter Fletcher shot down the whispers, confirming that the movie would be loud and proud about all aspects of Elton John’s life. Now, Richard Madden is also speaking out about the importance that all aspects of his life be seen. In his words:

It’s an intimate thing between these two characters and a significant moment in Elton’s life. And Elton’s life was very R-rated, wasn’t it?

Why censor a life as bold as Elton John’s has been? In Richard Madden’s interview with EW, he said it would have been a disservice to the star if the love scenes he shot with Egerton had been cut. John Reid was Elton’s first manager and a lover of his for a time, and is an important part of the film’s story.

If discussions had been made over cutting the nude and gay content in Rocketman, the reason was certainly over the opportunity of reproducing Bohemian Rhapsody. The music biopic’s box office success could have certainly benefited from a PG-13 rating, but when you think about it, most Queen fans are over 18 years old, and the same goes for those of Elton John. Considering the target audience is mature enough to see an R-rated film, why not go that extra mile to do these legends justice - and the LGBT community they represent.

Rocketman has a bit of a disadvantage to Bohemian Rhapsody because it’s opening right as the summer movie season kicks off, while the Queen film had less competition to go in with. The upcoming fantasy musical will debut at $20 to $25 million behind with Godzilla: King of Monsters this Friday, tracking at $50 million. Rocketman has impressed critics so far, who seem to like it better than Bohemian Rhapsody overall.

Jumanji 3: What We Know So Far

Jumanji 3: What We Know So Far

The game isn't over! While the third movie in the Jumanji series, following 1995's Jumanji and 2017's Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, has yet to reveal its official title, we can still fill you in on what information has been made available. Fans can expect a steady stream of Jumanji 3 news after filming starts, with updates continuing until the adventure movie arrives in theaters in late 2019. Here's what we know about the sequel so far.

When Will Jumanji 3 Be Released?

Jumanji 3 is currently scheduled for release on December 13, 2019. That gives it exactly one week before Star Wars: Episode IX takes over the box office. Jumanji has faced Star Wars in a showdown before, when Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle opened on December 20, 2017, just after Star Wars: The Last Jedi. Considering that both films picked up piles of money in 2017, there will still probably be room for both of them at the 2019 box office.

Star/producer Dwayne Johnson announced the current Jumanji 3 release date on Instagram back in June 2018:

Officially planting our JUMANJI flag.

On DECEMBER 13th, 2019 - the game is not over.

I hold JUMANJI very close to my heart and I'm beyond grateful you made our movie into the global juggernaut ($1BILLION+) it became.

Can't wait for you to see what our new adventure & new characters have in store as Christmas comes early.

And once again, I get to slap @kevinhart4real's lip's into next week. The world is happy.

FearTheDrums #TheGameIsNotOver #JUMANJI DECEMBER 13th, 2019

Dates can change without notice, but this one should stick.

What Is The Jumanji 3 Rating?

The MPAA has yet to announce an official rating, but it will probably be PG-13. The first Jumanji in 1995 was PG, but this is more of a direct sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which earned a PG-13 rating in 2017 for "adventure action, suggestive content and some language."

It's still early days for Jumanji 3 news, but considering how well Jumanji 2 did, there's a very high chance they won't change much about the basics for the 2019 movie. Welcome to the Jungle had a reported budget of around $100 million and the film made nearly $1 billion at the worldwide box office, per Box Office Mojo figures. It was the fifth-highest-grossing film of 2017 and the 42nd-highest-grossing film of all time. Of that total, $404.5 million came from the domestic box office, and $557.5 million from the foreign box office. No one really saw this coming, since the 1995 Robin Williams movie just made $262.8 million (not adjusted for inflation).

Who Is Writing And Directing Jumanji 3?

If it ain't broke... As suggested in the previous entry, the second Jumanji film was such a hit that Sony is bringing back the major players for Jumanji 3. According to Deadline, Sony asked Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner back to write a sequel, with Jake Kasdan returning to direct and help shape the story. Matt Tolbach will be producing, along with the Seven Bucks Production team of Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia.

Production Weekly (via MovieWeb) said Jumanji 3 is scheduled to start production January 21, and wrap filming around April 26. Jumanji 2 filmed in Hawaii and Georgia, but it may be something of a storyline change hint that filming for Jumanji 3 is meant to take place in Los Angeles, Atlanta, and Canada. We should be getting more official information very soon. Dwayne Johnson will probably continue to share casting scoops and set photos from his Instagram, since he is a producer -- and he just loves to engage with fans in that way.

What Is The Plot of Jumanji 3?

This is the big question! So far, the Jumanji 3 team is staying secretive, but we're expecting more details to come out once filming gets underway. Back in June, Dwayne Johnson shared a photo from a development meeting, teasing just this on the plot:

Ladies, gents and children of all ages.. The JUMANJI SEQUEL is officially underway.

Holy shit what a dynamite pitch from our writer/director Jake Kasdan.

We couldn't stop laughing and most importantly - like our first JUMANJI - the HEART in our story is our anchor. [...] And sorry for the spoiler but @kevinhart4real dies in the first 15 seconds of the movie, to what I'm assuming will be a HUGE standing ovation from the audience and the cast @karengillanofficial @jackblack @nickjonas

He just loves to mess with Kevin Hart! So, we know the main actors from Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle are all meant to return, presumably back in their roles as avatars for new players. And if Kevin Hart's avatar does die, at least he should be able to come back two more times. The four high school teens of Welcome to the Jungle left the film as newfound friends, and they destroyed the game in the end. But, since we're dealing with fantasy and magic, no one should expect the game to truly be destroyed. Jumanji 2 had some alternate endings that were discarded, THR reports, and it's possible the filmmakers will dip back into that well at some point.

Some of the actors have shared ideas for the sequel. Jack Black wants to head into space for an origin story. He wants to know where the game comes from, and who invented it, figuring it must be alien technology or from some "crazy jungle medicine man magic." I'd be down with an origin story, but we don't know if that's in the cards for this movie or any further movies. Karen Gillan added that she'd like to see a really old man choose her avatar, Ruby Roundhouse, so she could go from playing an introverted teen in Welcome to the Jungle to channeling the mannerisms of an old man. It would be funny if she got her way with Danny DeVito's new character since, at this point, we don't know who he is playing. (See below.)

What Characters Are Returning For Jumanji 3?

Here's what we know: Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Jonas will return. In Jumanji 2, they played the respective avatars Smolder Bravestone, Sheldon Oberon, Franklin Finbar, Ruby Roundhouse, and Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough.

Back in August, /FILM talked to director Jake Kasdan and asked if the same kids would play a new game of Jumanji (despite thinking they destroyed it). Kasdan said they were busy figuring all of that out. He did say he believed it would be a continuation of Jumanji as a video game, rather than the board game of the first film.

Dwayne Johnson As Dr. Smolder Bravestone

The Rock's game avatar, Smolder Bravestone, plays to his literal strengths. He's a confident and clearly very muscular archaeologist and international explorer. In Jumanji 2, Dwayne Johnson got to play against type when the person playing his avatar was nerdy, allergy-prone Brantford High School student Spencer. Playing strong Dr. Bravestone helped Spencer develop his own confidence and leadership skills. It'll be interesting to see how Smolder Bravestone returns. Who will play him next?

Jack Black As Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon

Jack Black had a fun role in Welcome to the Jungle as Professor Sheldon Oberon. His cartographer was played by popular, self-absorbed pretty girl Bethany, who was not expecting to be Black's "overweight middle aged man" when she picked the avatar descriptor "curvy genius" when deciding to play the game. But, her character evolved over the course of the adventure. Hopefully Jack Black gets to continue to stretch his comedic chops in Jumanji 3.

Kevin Hart As Franklin "Moose" Finbar

Brantford High School football jock "Fridge" picked weapons and zoology expert Franklin "Moose" Finbar because he sounded "like a badass." To his surprise, he ended up in the much shorter body of Kevin Hart. Hence, size jokes. We get that Hart is on the short side, but hopefully Jumanji 3 doesn't go for that particular joke again. The set-up of Fridge and Spencer being former friends who reconcile through the game of Jumanji worked perfectly for the dynamic of Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. The Central Intelligence co-stars have great comedic chemistry, so Jumanji 3 is going to have to harness that magic again.

Karen Gillan As Ruby Roundhouse

Karen Gillan plays "killer of men" Ruby Roundhouse, a fierce martial arts and dance fighting expert. Her avatar was played by shy high school student Martha. But Guardians of the Galaxy and Avengers: Endgame star Gillan has gone on the record to say she'd love to see an old man play the Ruby avatar in a future movie. We'll see if she gets her wish.

Nick Jonas As Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough

Nick Jonas was something of a surprise addition to the group as avatar pilot Jefferson "Seaplane" McDonough. He was the avatar of gamer Alex Vreeke, a teen who got stuck in the Jumanji game in 1996. This storyline was a direct tie to the original 1995 Jumanji film, since Alex had taken shelter in the game world in a house built by the previous Jumanji player, Alan Parrish, portrayed on film by Robin Williams.

In Jumanji 2, the four main players are rescued by Alex, who was the fifth player that was missing and unplayable when the teens first picked up the game. Welcome to the Jungle ended with Alex being able to go back to his own time, and grow up to be Colin Hanks, who named his child after Bethany after she saved his life. We'll have to see how the pilot character of Seaplane is used in the third film.

What New Characters Are Joining Jumanji 3?

Just recently we got word on the first new stars joining the Jumanji 3 team. Ocean's 8 and Crazy Rich Asians star Awkwafina is said to play a "key" and "significant" character in this movie. Shortly after that news came out, it was revealed that household name Danny DeVito would also be joining Jumanji 3. About a week later, it was revealed that Danny Glover would also be joining the cast. We'll be updated this guide, and our Jumanji 3 cast list, as new additions come in.

Dwayne Johnson, of course, posted about the new additions but didn't reveal anything about their characters beyond this little tease with his Danny Glover post: "The magic of our JUMANJI Universe is 'who turns into who?' and I'm excited for our [global] audience to join Danny and our entire cast on another wild and fun adventure." It's possible this level of secrecy will keep up until the first trailer comes out, or even the film itself. It's kind of fun seeing what surprises may be ahead, but there's more attention being paid to this movie, since Welcome to the Jungle was such a success, so they may not be able to hide all the tricks up their sleeves.

How Will Jumanji 3 Connect To The Previous Films?

It was initially thought that Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle would be a reboot of the Jumanji franchise. Instead, it was a sequel to the 1995 Robin Williams movie. It didn't have many references to the original, but it was clear that it was set in the same universe. Director Jake Kasdan said he plans to have Jumanji 3 connect to both previous films, but especially Welcome to the Jungle:

Our hope is to keep a long continuity through the whole thing, even though the story that we're telling in the second movie, the movie that we're working on right now is much more connected to the first movie that I made a year ago than it is to the original. We love the idea of keeping all of this together and connected in some way or another.

Jake Kasdan also seems fond of the timeline element -- that players return to where they started in the real world once they win, even if years have passed in the game; while the in-world game retains elements from previous players, like the nod to Alan Parrish.

Will There Be A Jumanji 4?

This is most likely up to the box office. You'd be hard-pressed to find anyone who expected Jumanji to get a sequel, never mind Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle getting a sequel, too. Some people consider this to be Jumanji 2, since it's more of a direct sequel to Welcome to the Jungle with only passing references to the first film. But, some people also think 2005's Zathura: A Space Adventure is part of the Jumanji franchise, even though that movie's plot has no references to any Jumanji films. It was marketed as being set in the Jumanji world, as it's based on Chris Van Allsburg's sequel to the Jumanji novel.

Either way, it's too soon too to say if Dwayne Johnson, Jake Kasdan and company will return for a Jumanji 4. If Jumanji 3 cleans up at the box office this December, and into early 2019, that'll be a good sign. But, they'd also have to come up with a worthy idea, instead of just continuing because it might make more money. If Jumanji 3 disappoints on the story front, it would put a damper on any hopes for a fourth film. So, we shall see.

This Jumanji 3 guide will be updated periodically as more news, trailers, photos, and updates from The Rock come out before the December 2019 release. In the meantime, keep track of all the amazing films coming to theaters in 2019 in our handy film schedule.