Back in 2012 there was a lot of ballyhoo (and a fair amount of complaining) about the idea of Sony rebooting fantasy tale Jumanji. The film is still going ahead, and now it has a director in the form of Jake Kasdan.
Normally found directing comedies such as Bad Teacher and Sex Tape, Kasdan, will turn his hand to what promises to be an effects-heavy update of the story originally adapted from Chris Van Allsburg's book.
The 1996 version saw Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce as two kids who decide to play an old board game they find. Unbeknownst to them, it’s a magical item that can trap the unwary, and the sprogs release Alan Parrish (Robin Williams), who had been sealed within the game’s jungle realm for years. But though he’s glad to be out, the kids’ actions also release a lot of other chaos into the world.
Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner have written the most recent draft and Kasdan will need to get to work quickly as there's a ticking clock on this one: Sony wants the movie in US cinemas by Christmas Day this year, with a February 3, 2017 release date set over here.