Sony Pictures has officially rescheduled the release of Jumanji 3, pushing the jungle adventure from December 11, 2026, to a prime Christmas Day opening. The move, first reported by Variety, positions the film as the leading family option for the 2026 holiday season. Director Jake Kasdan returns to helm the project, which serves as a direct follow-up to 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level.

The two-week delay is a strategic attempt to avoid "Dunesday"—the highly anticipated December 18 box office battle between Marvel Studios' Avengers: Doomsday and Warner Bros.' Dune: Part Three. By shifting to December 25, Sony aims to capture the post-holiday rush while avoiding the initial footprint of the two competing blockbusters. The move echoes the 2017 success of Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which thrived by opening just one week after Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

The film reunites the franchise’s core quartet: Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan. Returning supporting cast members include Danny DeVito, Nick Jonas, and Awkwafina, while newcomers Dan Hildebrand and Jack Jewkes join the production. Producers Matt Tolmach, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia are set to oversee the film, which many reports suggest will be the final installment in the current iteration of the series.