"New Girl" and "Sex Tape" director Jake Kasdan is officially named director for the "Jumanji" remake, a movie based on the best-selling and award-winning adventure book written by Chris Van Allsburg.
The news about a remake of "Jumanji" surfaced sometime in 2012 and Sony had announced a Christmas 2016 release date. Now the upcoming "Jumanji" reboot has found someone who will take the helm, director Jake Kasdan, who was also responsible from the Jason Segel and Cameron Diaz-starring 2014 comedy film, "Sex Tape;" and the hit comedy TV series starring Zooey Deschanel, "New Girl." Kasdan has also worked on "Bad Teacher," "Freaks and Geeks" and "The Grinder."
According to Deadline, producing the "Jumanji" remake is Matt Tolmach while penning the script will be Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinker, who previously worked for "The Amazing Spider-Man 2." Rosenberg and Pinker will be working on an original script drafted by Chris McKenna and Erik Sommers.
The report added that Tolmach has been "the major driver" in getting the "Jumanji" remake to the start line. Bill Teitler will be producing the reboot alongside Tolmach while Ted Field, Mike Weber and Vans Allsburg will be exec producers.
With Jake Kasdan on board, Huffington Post, in its report, commented: "Kasdan will either give us a refreshingly updated take on the story about a magical game board with more challenges than any of its players bargained for or leave an ugly scar on our childhood memories. The stakes are high."
The original "Jumanji," which revolved around a magical board game that made jungle plants and creatures come alive and invade an American village, starred Robin Williams and was released in 1995. It earned $260 million globally.
ComingSoon.net also noted that with a Dec. 25 release this year, the "Jumanji" remake is set to go head-to-head against Tim Burton's "Miss Peregrine's Home for Peculiar Children." The latter is also an adaptation of a bestselling novel by Ransom Riggs. The film adaptation, accordingly, stars Samuel L. Jackson, Eva Green, Asa Butterfield, Ella Purnell, Chris O'Dowd, Allison Janney, Terence Stamp, Kim Dickens, Kim Dickens, Rupert Everett and Judi Dench.
