Jumanji 3 Gets New Release Date Amidst “Dunesday” Hype (But Will It Keep It?)

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Sony has shifted the Jumanji 3 release date, though there will likely still be lingering questions about whether or not it will stick. According to Variety, Jumanji 3 is now scheduled to come out on Christmas Day, exactly one week after Dunesday. The action-adventure film is currently slated to release on the same day as Robert Eggers’ Werwulf and a John Tuggle biopic starring Superman actor David Corenswet.

Will Jumanji 3 Keep Its New Christmas Release Date?

Image Courtesy of Sony

For a variety of reasons, it looks like both Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part Three are going to stay in the December 18th window. As such, the consensus has been that Jumanji 3 should be the one to move. While fans debate if there’s enough money to go around for Avengers and Dune to be successful on the same opening weekend, exhibitors have reportedly been more concerned about Jumanji 3‘s prospects. When Jumanji 3 was still slated to debut on December 11th, the fear was that after its opening weekend, it would get trampled by Dunesday as theaters worked overtime to book enough Dune and Avengers screenings to meet high demand.

Sony’s rationale for moving Jumanji 3 to Christmas seems to be a belief that the film is in a better position to succeed if it comes out after the initial Dunesday hype. However, it’s fair to wonder if Jumanji 3 would be better off moving out of December entirely. While it’s much too early for Doomsday and Dune 3 box office projections to be available, it’s safe to assume both will have decent legs over the course of their respective theatrical runs. All of the Avengers films to date have earned over $1 billion worldwide, and Dune: Part Two grossed $714.8 million globally a couple of years ago. Doomsday and Dune 3 are expected to be sizable commercial draws (barring something unforeseen, like negative word of mouth) and should continue to attract audiences well beyond opening weekend.

This is all to say that Jumanji 3 may not have much to gain by moving to Christmas. The available screens question that hovered over its initial release date should still be an issue. One week likely isn’t enough time for hype for either Doomsday or Dune 3 to die down to the point where something like Jumanji 3 could make a significant dent at the box office. Jumanji 3 is still going to find itself in an intense competition against some heavy hitters, and while it’s true the first two modern Jumanji films coexisted with Star Wars sequel trilogy installments, this is something different. In those previous instances, Jumanji and Star Wars were the main holiday season draws. This year, Jumanji is third on the totem pole behind the Dunesday double feature.

Sony wants Jumanji 3 to be a major hit in its own right. It’s positioned as the conclusion to the modern series starring Johnson and a celebration of the franchise’s overall legacy. It would be a shame if the film underwhelmed commercially and was overshadowed by two of the year’s biggest blockbusters. It might be the smarter move to shift Jumanji 3 to a far less competitive box office window, one where it could really shine as the No. 1 option for moviegoers. That’s unlikely to be available this December, so perhaps the answer is to move Jumanji to some point in 2027 (but those available dates are being filled up fast). It’ll be interesting to see what happens with Jumanji 3.

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