The release date for "Jumanji 2" has been officially pushed back. Sony announced that the reboot starring Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart will be in theaters in December 2017.
But when "Jumanji 2" screens, moviegoers will also see how it will pay homage to Robin Williams, who starred in original version from 1995. The actor passed away in 2014.
"Jumanji" was originally set to premiere in the summer of 2017, but Sony has decided it would be better fit for a Christmas holiday release. The studio has not given a reason for the change in dates but then Sony has been switching a lot of movies in its release calendar of late, according to Movie Fone.
Meanwhile, the "Jumanji 2" reboot is still in the middle of filming on location in Hawaii. The cast has been constantly sharing photos from behind the scenes on their social media account.
Before work began on "Jumanji 2," Dwayne Johnson shared that the reboot will be honoring Robin Williams, whose iconic character in the first film was unforgettable. "The love and respect I have for this man is boundless," Johnson wrote on Instagram. "You have my word, we will honor his name and the character of "Alan Parrish" will stand alone and be forever immortalized in the world of JUMANJI in an earnest and cool way," he added.
"Jumanji 2" will take on a fresh approach, which will be based on the book written by Chris Van Allsburg. Kevin Hart echoes that the new film will not attempt to redo the original Robin Williams flick. "We would never try to touch something as good as that and try to make it our own," the actor told Entertainment Tonight.
Aside from Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart, the film also features Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas. Its official title has not yet been confirmed, however, so keep checking back for more news and updates about this movie on this site.