'Jumanji' Sequel Trailer: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart & Co. Try And Take Things To The 'Next Level'

“Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle” was a surprise hit in 2017 and it took the movie world off guard for dozens of reasons. First, no one really knew there was that much affection for the “Jumanji” franchise—the movie based on the original 1995 film starring Robin Williams— though the truth may be, it wasn’t so much the brand itself, but an entertaining movie that really pleased family audiences looking for something to watch during the Christmas season of that year. ‘Jumanji’ was a slow sleeper too with incredible legs, holding on weekend after weekend with incredible numbers. The movie eventually grossed a spectacular $962.1 million worldwide and arguably ate into the numbers of and challenged “Star Wars: The Last Jedi,” a movie its studio had no competition. ‘Welcome To The Jungle’ grossed over $400 million domestically and became Sony’s highest grossing films ever at home in the U.S.

The other surprise was its director. Jake Kasdan, the son of “Star Wars” writer Lawrence Kasdan, was typically known for low-scale comedies often with an R-Rated Apatow-ian bent. Kasdan applied that knack for comedy to an epic-scaled family adventure film and came out the other end with a massive hit, presumably changing his career forever. He returns for the sequel, “Jumanji: The Next Level” and much of the primary cast returns too and with some fun additions too. Here’s the new synopsis:

In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

“Jumanji: The Next Level” stars Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Ser’Darius Blain Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Alex Wolff, with Danny Glover and Danny DeVito.

Sony’s “Jumanji: The Next Level” sequel opens December. 13. Watch the latest trailer below.