Don’t worry. They’ve done this before. Once. But this time, Zach Helm will be scripting the reboot of Jumanji, which is based on the 1981 children’s short story by Chris Van Alsburg. Doug Belgrad, president of Columbia Pictures, a subsidiary of Sony Pictures, said back in August that the studio would “try to reimagine and update [Jumanji] for the present.” Perhaps the fictional, board game-themed film will be a iPhone app this time around. [THR]
As for this new writer, Helm is no stranger to adaptation for the big screen. He brought us Stranger Than Fiction based on the novel by Charles Van Allsburg in 2006 and Mr. Magoo’s Wonder Emporium in 2007, which he adapted and directed from the children’s fantasy novel by Suzanne Weyn. In recent years the Sony Pictures has grappled to remain profitable, but since its pledge to increase its development on more family-oriented pictures, the studio has seemingly turned around. Sony’s bet on this area of entertainment has paid off big, delivering box-office success in 2012 with The Amazing Spider-Man, The Vow, Hotel Transylvania, Men in Black 3, Hope Springs and 21 Jump Street. Their triumphant blockbuster success with Skyfall is the icing on the cake for the studio, but the question remains if it will continue with this Jumanji update and one can check back on more updates as they come in.
Will Sony have another blockbuster with a Jumanji update?