The late Robin Williams is still one of the most beloved actors and comedians of all time. Now, 11 years after his passing, Dwayne Johnson is opening up about the subtle yet poignant tribute to Williams in the upcoming “Jumanji” film.
‘Jumanji’ Is Still Among Robin Williams’ Most Beloved Roles
Williams starred in the original “Jumanji” in 1995 alongside Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt, and Bradley Pierce. The film was a major hit, and the updated version, “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle,” arrived in 2017, starring Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.
After that came “Jumanji: The Next Level” in 2019. Now, there’s a new installment in the works. Johnson opened up about adding a tribute to Williams in a conversation with PEOPLE. He said, “It was my idea to honor him in some way, and I didn’t know how to do it.
And our costume designer, L.J. [Laura Jean Shannon] ⦠goes, âWhat if I got the original dice [from the first movie]?’ And that’s what happened.”
Regarding the dice, Johnson opted to wear the piece on a necklace. The actor first shared it on Instagram in November. He said in a video, “Little day one of Jumanji excitement. That was cool. As you see, a little Easter egg for Dr. Bravestone. This is the dice from the original Jumanji with Robin Williams, as a show of respect.
And a way of honoring Robin and this entire franchise that he started as we film our very last Jumanji. Big finale. Here we go, let’s shoot!”
Johnson also noted that they were filming the movie in Los Angeles. He went on to say how happy he was to be filming in the city for the first time in quite a while, as many productions have gone elsewhere.
Johnson Has Been Teasing the Upcoming Movie
The upcoming “Jumanji” film was announced in October 2024 with a premiere date set for December 11, 2026. As Johnson noted on his Instagram, they began filming in November 2025. Before that, the actor shared footage of the cast’s first table read for the film.
He said, “Officially kicking off production of JUMANJI, at our cast table read in Los Angeles – where we will film as well ðð¾ðð¾ ð¥What a massive, fun, heartfelt adventure. Feels emotionally appropriate for our beloved JUMANJI franchise to end on this beautiful grace note of our final film.
Amazing to get the whole gang back together, and our jaws were hurting from laughing so hard ððWe all talked about how much weâve missed this kinda joy and fun ð¥¹ð ð¤ð¾ð¤ð» Letâs make a good one.”
Of course, “Jumanji” isn’t Johnson’s only movie coming in 2026. He will also appear in the live-action version of Disney’s “Moana,” slated to hit theaters on July 10.
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