One of Robin Williams’ best-ever movies is blowing up on Netflix. The much-loved, much-missed comedian and actor starred in many iconic films across his career, particularly in the 90s, and one of his most enduringly popular is Jumanji. And the 1995 family adventure is once again gaining new attention this week as it’s currently the eighth most-watched title on Netflix in the United States (as per the latest stats from Flix Patrol).
While the idea of continuing the franchise without Williams was once thought impossible, Sony has rebooted Jumanji in recent years with 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level, starring Dwayne Johnson, Karen Gillan, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black, to much success. But if you haven’t seen the unbeatable original for a while, then why not join everyone else who’s already done so and check it out on Netflix?
As we all know, Jumanji — from future Captain America: The First Avenger director Joe Johnston — follows Kirsten Dunst and Bradley Pierce as two kids who start playing a supernatural board game that unleashes a jungle of chaos on their home. Though he’s ably supported by the likes of Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, and David Alan Grier, Williams obviously steals the show as Alan Parrish, the wild man who’s been trapped in the world of the game for 30 years.
While the new movies are good times in their own right, the almost $2 billion gross they brought in at the box office is arguably in large part due to how much fondness folks have for the first one. A third sequel and conclusion to the modern Jumanji trilogy is in development at Sony, with Johnson and the rest expected to return. It’s just taking a while to get going due to The Rock’s busy schedule.
But in the meantime, at least we have the original and best to enjoy on Netflix.
