There was an IDIOTIC idea for a sequel to the original Jumanji

There was a rather "idiotic" idea for a sequel to Jumanji that went unproduced, according to the writer of the original children's book, Chris Van Allsburg.

Jumanji is one of the most iconic family features of all time and starred Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, David Alan Grier, Bonnie Hunt, Jonathan Hyde, and Bebe Neuwirth.

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The premise reads:

'Two children come across a magical board game. While playing it, they meet Alan, a man who was trapped in the game, and attempt to free him while facing different kinds of danger.'

Though Jumanji received mixed reviews upon its release, it became a beloved Williams movie and was a financial success, too, earning $262 million at the box office. 

Sony were keen for a quick sequel, and Van Allsburg has revealed it would have taken place in The White House after the President of the United States comes across the infamous boardgame.

"I don't know if there was a single writer involved, but decided that that event happened in Normandy, that the game had floated across the ocean. The game ends up in an antique shop in Normandy and stays there for some period of time," the author told SyFy Wire.

"The President promised his kids to bring back a souvenir from his trip. And so, the presidential entourage stops at this little antique shop in Normandy and the President goes in and finds this old board game, Jumanji. He packs it up and he takes it back to Washington, DC and then all the mayhem that the game can generate is generated in the White House and the halls of Congress ... They had some crazy stuff. I think there was a gorilla that climbs the Washington Monument in an homage to King Kong.

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Jumanji (1995)

Alan Parrish discovers Jumanji, a mysterious and exciting game. When Alan starts playing it with his girlfriend Sarah, he discovers, too late, that the game has supernatural powers. An unfortunate roll of the dice draws him into the jungle of Jumanji. There he remains imprisoned for 26 years until he is freed by two unsuspecting children. Along with Judy and Peter, now grown Alan and Sarah must complete the game.

Directed by: Joe Johnston
Stars: Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst and Bonnie Hunt

"(One scene would have featured animals being cut in half by a propellor) then they were able to reassemble themselves into different parts of an animal. It was just a really lame excuse to see what some CGI artist could do. Totally idiotic.

"One of the producers said to me, ‘The only thing that would keep them from making this is a better idea.’"

Van Allsburg would go on to write a spiritual successor to Jumanji, Zathura: A Space Adventure.