Actor Kirsten Dunst may be known for blockbuster features like Spider-Man and Bring It On. But one of her first projects, Jumanji, held a special place in fans’ hearts everywhere. Being a fan of the first film as well, she might’ve been just as shocked as everyone else to hear about Jumanji’s more modern sequel.
Kirsten Dunst wished they came to her after making the ‘Jumanji’ sequel
Jumanji Welcome to the Jungle was a pleasant surprise when it first hit theaters. Although it was met with skepticism from a lot of the original’s fans, it later went on to achieve both critical and commercial acclaim. Welcome to the Jungle took a lot of creative liberties that made it stand apart from its predecessor, however. For instance, none of the original Jumanji cast members, including Dunst, returned to headline the blockbuster.
Instead, the sequel focused on a new roster of stars that included Jack Black, Karen Gillan, Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart. Jake Kasden directed the film, hoping to upgrade the Jumanji franchise with a more contemporary audience in mind while staying true to the source material.
“What would the game be like today? That was the approach we took in terms of updating the first film and expanding on the story from the first film,” Kasden once told iHorror. “The game is more challenging in this film; it’s more difficult, and it’s evolved. This Jumanji seeks out kids, teenagers, and it has a reason for doing this, which is that it wants to show kids, show the players of the game, how to overcome seemingly impossible obstacles. This film continues with the game from the first film but not the characters. That being said, this film contains all of the elements that people loved, that I loved, in the first film, and I think it’s a fitting tribute to the original film and to Robin Williams.”
Dunst, however, was left out of the conversation when it came to Welcome to the Jungle. Speaking with ET, she quipped that she felt snubbed by the cast and crew.
“I honestly didn’t even know they were making a Jumanji movie,” Dunst said. “I’m offended I haven’t been reached out to be in it!”
However, Dunst added that she wouldn’t at all be opposed to returning to her Jumanji roots if asked.
“That’d be fun,” she added. “I would definitely do something in that if they wanted me to.”
Kirsten Dunst hasn’t starred in a ‘Jumanji’ movie due to complications
The rebooted Jumanji franchise had quite a few opportunities to cast Dunst in the project. Beyond the 2017 film, the series also spawned the 2019 sequel Jumanji: The Next Level. But Dunst was absent from that project, too. Kasden recently revealed that he’d be excited to include Dunst in potential future Jumanji installments. But the storyline for the original made it difficult.
“We love Kirsten,” Kasden told The Hollywood Reporter. “She’s fantastic. From the time we did Welcome to the Jungle, we were very focused on keeping a little bit of connectivity to the original movie, which we love. We’ve always wanted to honor it and keep enough of it alive. Also, the way the original movie ends, as brilliant as it is, creates a lot of plot complications in trying to continue the story with those characters.”
For those who haven’t watched the first movie, Kasden dove a little further into the movie’s conclusion. What happened with Dunst in the end made aligning her character with the sequel’s story challenging. Still, that didn’t rule out Dunst’s possible return to her roots.
“I don’t know how well you remember it, but the world reverts back to what it was before, as though it never happened,” he said. “Some of the characters are still aware of what happened, but most of them aren’t. So the kids [including Dunst’s Judy] don’t remember because it short-circuits the part where they have the adventure, but Robin [Williams] and Bonnie’s characters are aware.”
“So it has this complicated, clever bit of storytelling at the end that has always made the challenge of continuing their story very complicated. But, that said, within that complication, we’ve loved trying to figure out some way to do it in a way that is fun and passes some kind of fidelity to the original story,” Kasen added.
With another Jumanji sequel scheduled to release for December, 26, 2026, fans may still have a chance to welcome Dunst back into the series.
