Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson
took to Instagram this morning to confirm his participation in an upcoming remake of
Jumanji, promising he'd deliver something "cool and special." The confirmation is arriving in the wake of recent reports that
Sony was recruiting Johnson and Kevin Hart for its remake of the 1995 Robin Williams adventure classic, one that'd start shooting this summer before release in July 2017. Johnson's Instagram post nails down a few of those details: the movie will start shooting this fall, and it's being directed by Jake Kasdan. It's still unclear whether or not Hart is going to join the cast; the actors' busy schedules were originally cited as a major production challenge.
The original
Jumanji overcame lukewarm critical reception on its way to conquering the box office over two decades ago, and it's become a go-to movie for parents and children in the years since its release. (It's also one of those rare children's movies that's genuinely
scary: I was pretty young when it was first released, and I remember being absolutely terrified by it.) When Sony announced its intention to remake the film last August, it was met with widespread criticism because of the announcement's proximity to Robin Williams' death.
IT'S ONE OF THE ROCK'S "ALL-TIME FAVES"
"[Taking] existing properties that are beloved worldwide like #BAYWATCHand #RAMPAGEand... tell[ing] their stories in dope new ways to a whole new generation is truly an honor," The Rock wrote. "We'll produce and deliver to a whole new generation a title that I love and is one of my all-time faves: there's games you play for fun... then there's games that change your life. JUMANJI."
when i heard about a remake of a childhood classic for me, but I may be able to fukk with The Rock version 
