If you click on a link and make a purchase we may receive a small commission. Read our editorial policy.
Who owns Jumanji? The author of the original book is looking for Sony to give him the rights back, but the studio says no
According to reports, Chris Van Allsburg - who wrote Jumanji in 1981 - wants rights to the property back, but Sony doesn't like that idea
Popverse's top stories
- Marvel Studios head Kevin Feige teases there's more to that Thunderbolts* post-credit scene than you thought
- MEMBERS ONLY: Before The Life of Chuck, Stand By Me, The Running Man, and The Shawshank Redemption showed another side to Stephen King [For Your Consideration]
- Batman: Dark Patterns feels both impossible and impressive
It’s been a few years since audiences got to enjoy a new Jumanji movie — and a new development suggests that we might be waiting for awhile longer, as the author who created the original story seems to be preparing to fight with the movie studio that currently controls the property over who actually owns Jumanji.
In the most recent mailing of Puck’s What I’m Hearing newsletter, Eriq Gardner reports that Chris Van Allsburg, the author of the original 1981 picture book, is looking to reclaim the rights to Jumanji — but that Sony isn’t happy about the idea. Gardner writes, “Sony is pushing back, arguing that it acquired the rights directly from the publisher, and that Van Allsburg’s termination notice is also premature by a couple of years.”
As per Gardner, Van Allsburg has brought on a legal team to address the matter, which suggests a court battle might lie ahead.
It’s clear to see why Sony would want to control the rights to Jumanji; to date, the series has produced four movies, three of which — 1995’s Jumanji, 2017’s Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, and 2019’s Jumanji: The Next Level — were hits. (The one that wasn’t, and is perpetually forgotten is 2005’s Zathura: A Space Adventure, based on Van Allsburg’s book sequel to his original.) Additionally, Sony controls specific merchandizing rights to Jumanji, including theme parks and hotels based on the movies. There’s no small amount of money at stake should Sony no longer have the rights to the property.
Whether or not Sony is correct that Van Allsburg is early with his termination notice depends on information not in the public domain — namely, when Sony licensed the property for adaptation. Under US copyright law, termination rights can be exercised 35 years from the date of the original agreement; the first Jumanji movie came out in 1995, 30 years ago this year, and reportedly started shooting in fall 1994 — that means that the license must have been in place from at least that year, in the case of an extremely accelerated writing and pre-production schedule. Sony’s own comments about the termination being a couple of years early would suggest a 1992 license agreement, giving the movie two years of development and pre-production.
So, what’s next? If Gardner is to be believed, a legal stand-off, unless the two parties can come to a new agreement — but it’s also worth wondering if the reason Van Allsburg is making these moves now is that another studio has expressed interest in a reboot somewhere down the line. Could we be seeing brand new Jumanji movie announcements in the next few years... and if so, from where, exactly?
Want to know what's coming up next in pop culture? Check out Popverse's guides to:
Follow Popverse for upcoming event coverage and news
Find out how we conduct our review by reading our review policy
Let Popverse be your tour guide through the wilderness of pop culture
Sign in and let us help you find your new favorite thing.
Comments
Want to join the discussion? Please activate your account first.
Visit Reedpop ID if you need to resend the confirmation email.