<P> On April 15, Variety reported that Dwayne Johnson and Kevin Hart were in early talks to star in the film (although both actors had other projects). Later in the month, Johnson confirmed his casting on Instagram . In July, it was reported that Nick Jonas had joined the film's cast with Johnson, Hart, and Jack Black . The following month, Johnson said that the film would not be a reboot but a continuation of the 1995 film; Karen Gillan was announced as part of the cast . On September 20, Ser'Darius Blain was cast as Anthony "Fridge" Johnson and Madison Iseman as Bethany Walker . Two days later, Rhys Darby was cast as Nigel Billingsley, Morgan Turner as Martha Kaply, and Alex Wolff as Spencer Gilpin . In November 2016, Bobby Cannavale announced his casting in the film, and in December 2016, Tim Matheson joined the cast as Old Man Vreeke . Although James Newton Howard was originally signed to compose the film's score, he was replaced by Henry Jackman when the film's release date was postponed six months . </P> <P> In March 2017, during CinemaCon, it was announced that the film's complete title was Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle . Its plot involved teenagers cleaning out a school's basement who find a vintage video - game version of Jumanji and are sucked into the first film's jungle setting . Although fans debated whether the film was a sequel or a reboot, the second trailer (released on September 20, 2017) indicated that the sequel is set twenty - one years after the first . </P> <P> Principal photography began on September 19, 2016, in Honolulu, Hawaii, primarily at the Kualoa Ranch nature reserve . The film wrapped on December 8 in Atlanta, Georgia . </P> <P> In August 2015, Sony gave the film a release date of December 25, 2016 . Since filming did not begin until September 2016, the release was pushed back to July 28 and then to December 20, 2017 . </P>

Where was jamanji welcome to the jungle filmed