10 Anticipated Movie Sequels Stuck In Development Hell

Top Gun: Maverick may be the best of the bunch, but it certainly isn't the only legacy sequel to actually be successful. Back in 2017, the world of Jumanji was revisited with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, bringing the story to life through a video game rather than a board game, and audiences loved it.

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan, and Jack Black starred in both Welcome to the Jungle and 2019's Jumanji: The Next Level, both of which were hits. When a further sequel was almost inevitably announced in 2020, there was of course excitement, but bringing the cast that was so important to its success back together may not be as simple as first thought.

Currently slated for a release in December 2026, Jack Black, who played one of the game's avatars, Professor Shelley Oberon, has cast doubt on the project completely. When asked if he had filmed anything yet while doing press for The Minecraft Movie, Black laughed it off and said he'd believe that when he got to set. Could it be that the news of the next sequel, or at least the full cast's involvement, has been premature?

Mere days later, though, the actor told TODAY that the film is "highly likely" and "in the works" (4:19 mark above), so such contradiction, whether intentional or not, means anything said should be taken with a pinch of salt. Even if Jumanji 4 does make its current release date of December 2026, that will mark six years since it was announced, which is more than a little ridiculous.