Jumanji Sequel Fan Theory

(This post contains spoilers for Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle)

Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle was one of the surprise hits of 2017 and one of the year’s funniest films. A sequel was announced soon after and as of yet, little is known about the plot, other than it will apparently deal with the game’s origins and that the original main cast is returning. However, what makes this case unique is that it doesn’t completely warrant a sequel. Despite being a reboot/sequel itself, it ended very satisfactorily, with the game counsel being destroyed by the teenagers in the end. It’s not like most modern blockbuster films that probably spend too much time setting up a sequel that telling a full story. So with everything seeming to be resolved, the main question is what the plot of the sequel will be. Well, one possibility came to mind after another rewatch of the film. After the four teenagers return home and go back to school, they suddenly hear those ominous drumbeats again, but why did they hear it? This is the only major question in the movie that is left unanswered and it could provide a hint at a sequel. My theory is that the drums are playing because, after their detention, someone else found the game and got sucked in. Because Spencer, Fridge, Martha, and Bethany have recently left the game, they are still linked to it and thus can hear it. This would set up the sequel in that someone is missing and they have to return to help whoever is trapped there. This is only a theory, but if this really was a setup for the sequel, then the filmmakers will really need to freshen things up. Maybe Jumanji reboots as a more modern video game and the game is now different because of another reboot. After all, the bowling ball hits the game console, not the game itself, so a reboot would be the only way for them to reenter. We’ll just have to wait till December to find out.