A Jumanji Prequel Concept

Long before Alan Parrish was sucked into the board game in 1969, or four teens found an old console in a basement, the magical game Jumanji has existed.

With the final chapter of the new Jumanji movies approaching. I have put some thought into what the next direction could be for the Jumanji property, and I think that I have come up with something great – a prequel set in 1867 America.

The Setting

The year 1867 is the perfect backdrop. The American Civil War has ended, the Transcontinental Railroad is carving through the wilderness, and the “Wild West” is ongoing. Imagine an explorer discovering a mysterious wooden box buried in the red dust of the American frontier.

The Characters

• The Explorer: The lead character. He’s a disciplined explorer and naturalist obsessed with documenting animals. He has only read about the animals of Africa, so he is excited to get to see them.
• The Assistant: The professor’s fellow explorer and research assistant. She is more level-headed than the explorer.
• The Gunslinger: A stereotypical western gunslinger that the professor meets at bar and plays the game with.
• The Native American: A Native American cowboy who is resourceful and has a knowledge of flora and fauna.

The Threats

• Lions
• Rhinos (and of course the slow Rhino)
• Hippos
• Zebras
• Monkeys
• Hyenas
• Crocodiles
• Vultures
• Snakes

The Ending

After a lot of close calls, the entire main cast ends up surviving. This is a family movie after all. In the end the explorer buries the game deep underground, however, as we know, Jumanji will always return.

Why This Works

This prequel would move away from the moderness and comedy of the recent films and return to the creepier, atmospheric roots of the original Chris Van Allsburg book and the 1995 movie. It would take the game into a new and interesting setting.

 What do you think? Let me know in the comments!