‘Jumanji: Open World’ poster confirms Christmas release; Dwayne Johnson-starrer to clash with Shah Rukh Khan’s ‘King’ |

Dwayne Johnson has unveiled the first official poster of ‘Jumanji: Open World’, confirming that the next instalment in the adventure franchise will hit theatres on December 25, 2026. The Christmas release sets up a box-office clash with Shah Rukh Khan‘s upcoming film ‘King’, which is also scheduled to arrive in cinemas during the holiday period.The poster, unveiled on Monday, carries the tagline, “Two worlds collide. One final game,” hinting at the high stakes in what Johnson has described as the franchise’s final game. “#Jumanji: Open World – the last game is coming exclusively to movie theatres CHRISTMAS DAY,” he concluded his post.The poster features Johnson with co-stars Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Kevin Hart posing with some animals, who going by the trailer, make their way out of the game and run loose in the real world.Reflecting on his journey with the franchise. “All jokes aside, our Jumanji journey has been the greatest of a lifetime,” he wrote on social media.The upcoming film will see the return of the franchise’s principal cast, including Johnson as Dr Xander ‘Smolder’ Bravestone, Hart as Franklin Finbar, Black as Professor Sheldon Oberon and Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse. The ensemble also features Alex Wolff, Madison Iseman, Awkwafina, Nick Jonas and Danny DeVito.Directed by Jake Kasdan, the film follows the events of ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ (2017) and ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ (2019). The new instalment is expected to take the adventure beyond the confines of the game console, with the game spilling into the real world and unleashing chaos.The original ‘Jumanji’, directed by Joe Johnston, was based on Chris Van Allsburg’s 1981 children’s picture book and starred Williams, Kirsten Dunst, Bonnie Hunt and Jonathan Hyde. The franchise was subsequently reimagined with ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’, which followed four teenagers who find themselves trapped inside a video game, and its 2019 sequel, in which the group returns to the game with their characters switched.With its December 25 release, the film is poised to compete for audiences during the lucrative Christmas window, setting up a major box-office face-off with ‘King’ in Indian markets. The film will also arrive just a week after the releases of ‘Dune: Part Three’ and ‘Avengers: Doomsday’, both of which clash on December 18.