'Jumanji: The Next Level' trailer reveals threequel's big twist

Sony Pictures has shared the first trailer for Jumanji: The Next Level and it reveals that the game has changed this time around.

The third Jumanji movie, coming to cinemas this Christmas, picks up the story after the events of 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle, which saw four teens transported into the world of a video game, where they assumed new identities as avatars within the deadly game.

Alex Wolff’s Spencer Gilpin became Dwayne Johnson’s Smolder Bravestone, Madison Iseman’s Bethany Walker became Jack Black’s Professor Sheldon "Shelly" Oberon, Ser'Darius Blain’ s Anthony "Fridge" Johnson became Kevin Hart’s Franklin "Mouse" Finbar, and Morgan Turner’s Martha Kaply became Karen Gillan’s Ruby Roundhouse.

However, when Spencer finds himself back in the game, it’s up to his old pals to rescue him, but when they rejoin the game, they’ve switched characters with Danny DeVito and Danny Glover’s grandfather figures assuming the roles of Smolder and Mouse respectively. Fridge is now Shelly, and only Martha retains her avatar of Ruby Roundhouse.

What happened to Bethany when they journey back into Jumanji remains to be seen.

The first look footage also revealed that The Next Level will leave the jungle and venture into parts of the game’s world, previously unexplored in the first two films.

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Here’s the synopsis: In Jumanji: The Next Level, the gang is back but the game has changed. As they return to Jumanji to rescue one of their own, they discover that nothing is as they expect. The players will have to brave parts unknown and unexplored, from the arid deserts to the snowy mountains, in order to escape the world’s most dangerous game.

Director Jake Kasdan returns for the third film, which proved to be a monster hit for Sony in December 2017 where it was released in direct competition with Star Wars: The Last Jedi.

It grossed $962m (£761m) at the global box office, and a sequel was greenlit in January 2018.

Jumanji: The Next Level is in cinemas from 13 December, where it’ll go toe-to-toe once again with Star Wars: The Rise of Skywalker.