By Zack Zagranis
| Published 1 minute ago

Most people play games to escape, unless that game is Jumanji. Then they play to escape the game itself. That was the case for Robin Williams in the 1995 family classic Jumanji, which is newly available to stream on Netflix.

Jumanji is a family adventure film from smack dab in the middle of the ’90s, with all the janky CGI that entails. The movie was based on a 1981 children’s book of the same name about a jungle-themed board game that comes to life as you play it. The film version stars Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, a young boy who goes missing in 1969 after playing a board game called Jumanji with his friend Sarah Whittle, played by Bonnie Hunt.

Welcome To The Jungle

Alan gets trapped inside the game after a turn that instructs him to wait in the jungle until someone else rolls a five or an eight. Sarah understandably freaks out and runs from the house, leaving Alan stuck inside Jumanji.

Twenty-six years later, two new children, Judy (a young Kirsten Dunst) and her brother Peter, discover Jumanji and, upon rolling a five, release a grown-up Alan in the form of Robin Williams from the game. Unfortunately, he’s not alone.

Among the other jungle perils unleashed upon the small town of Brantford, New Hampshire, are killer vines, giant mosquitoes, a gaggle of mischievous monkeys, and a colonial-Africa-style big-game hunter complete with a pith helmet and a long gun. Now it’s up to the kids, the now-grown Robin Williams version of Alan and Sarah, to finish the game that was started in 1969 if they can survive long enough.

The Origins Of Jumanji

The children’s book Jumanji was written by author Peter Guber and optioned for film by another author, Chris Van Allsburg. Van Allsburg did his best to take Guber’s bare-bones story of two kids playing a living game and turn it into a full-length screenplay.

TriStar Pictures agreed to finance the film, but only if they could get Robin Williams to play the lead character, Alan Parrish, as an adult. Unfortunately, Williams initially passed on Jumanji based on the draft of the script he was given to read.

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It wasn’t until Honey, I Shrunk the Kids director Joe Johnston reworked the story with screenwriters Greg Taylor, Jonathan Hensleigh, and Jim Strain that Robin Williams agreed to do the film. Ironically, despite being instrumental in Williams’s acceptance of the role, director Joe Johnston originally didn’t want Robin because of his reputation for heavy on-set improvising.

Luckily, Robin Williams understood the assignment and stuck to the script except for a handful of times when he was allowed to improvise a few lines with actress Bonnie Hunt. Even then, it was only after the director had already gotten a take where the actor performed his lines as scripted.

Jumanji Was Supposed To Star Tom Hanks And Madonna

Johnston’s first choice to play Alan Parrish was actor Tom Hanks. Hanks, however, was unavailable due to his commitment to Apollo 13.

Other actors considered for the role include Dan Aykroyd, Michael Keaton, Chevy Chase, Sean Penn, Kevin Costner, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Douglas, Rupert Everett, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Robin Williams wasn’t the only actor who wasn’t Johnston’s first choice. Prior to Bonnie Hunt, the director considered several actresses for the role of Sarah, such as Jodie Foster, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, and even Madonna. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson was in the running to play Judy at one point before the filmmaker decided on Kirsten Dunst.

Early CGI And Shot On Location

The movie was mainly shot in Keene, New Hampshire, which stood in for Jumanji‘s fictional town of Brantford. Other locations included North Berwick Main, where the Olde Woolen Mill was used for the shoe factory owned by Robin Williams’ father in the movie.

The movie was one of the first to rely heavily on CGI for many of its special-effects shots. George Lucas’s special effects company Industrial Light & Magic even wrote all-new software specifically for use in Jumanji.

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Due to CGI still being in its infancy, many of the digital effects were bolstered by more traditional practical means such as puppetry and animatronics. The effects may look laughable by modern standards, but they were mind-blowing to audiences in 1995, and, if we’re being honest, still retain a certain charm today.

Audience And Critical Reception

Jumanji was released on December 15, 1995, and immediately overtook Toy Story to become the #1 movie at the North American box office on its opening weekend. The movie went on to gross $262.8 million worldwide on a $65 million budget, making it a financial success.

The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Robin Williams’ performance but thought it overall relied too much on special effects and too little on the story. Audiences, on the other hand, almost unanimously loved the movie.

Jumanji spawned a real-life board game, an animated series, a quasi-sequel in 2005’s Zathura: A Space Adventure, and a couple of more direct sequels, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 and Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019.

Jumanji is remembered today quite fondly, especially by ’90s kids. Whether you’re an Xennial or Millennial looking for a quick hit of nostalgia, or someone younger looking to check out a movie full of retro visuals and a legendary performance by Robin Williams, you owe it to yourself to check out Jumanji while it’s on Netflix.

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When their friend Tommy (Bill Cone) is mysteriously murdered at a cemetery, Reggie (Reggie Bannister), Jody (Bill Thornbury) and Jody’s 13-year-old brother, Mike (A. Michael Baldwin), decide to investigate. They get more than they bargained for when they encounter The Tall Man (Angus Scrimm), an imposing figure who possesses unnatural strength and vague psychic abilities. The Tall Man knows why Tommy was killed, but he’s not telling, so it’s up to the three men to find out what he’s up to, why his mortuary might be a portal to another dimension and how the hell he can control two silver flying spheres that can kill people in an instant.

It’s a compliment to say that watching Phantasm feels like a bad dream you want to wake up from, but can’t. While it has its share of blood, the film is less of a slasher and more of a horror movie about the unknown. Nothing really makes sense or is explained, which makes Phantasm even scarier — you’re not given the comfort of an explanation. And for a movie made in 1979, the special effects still hold up — those flying spheres look real and deadly. 

Ray J has spoken out after his viral boxing knockout landed him in the hospital.

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Ray J Speaks Out After Viral Boxing Knockout Lands Him In Hospital

According to TMZ, Ray J checked himself into a hospital in Las Vegas two hours after his knockout by Supa Hot Fire. Per the outlet, as of Tuesday, May 26, Ray had been in the hospital for three days. Furthermore, the medical team is “investigating whether Ray had a concussion.” Additionally, he’s reportedly “experiencing issues with his heart beating slower.”

Furthermore, on Tuesday, the outlet obtained photos of Ray in his hospital bed. Additionally, on Tuesday, The Shade Room obtained an exclusive clip from Ray, who shared a quick statement from his hospital bed.

Social Media Reacts

Social media users reacted to the clip of Ray J in his hospital bed in TSR’s comment section.

More On Ray J’s Viral Boxing Knockout Landing Him In Hospital

As The Shade Room previously reported, Ray J hopped into the ring with Supa Hot Fire. Ultimately, Ray ended up getting knocked out.

According to TMZ, afterward, Ray J seemed to suggest that he “had a plan in place with Supa and they lost money as a result of the knockout.”

Ray J seemingly jokes that his fight with Supah Hot Fire was supposed to be rigged, but Supah Hot Fire had other plans. pic.twitter.com/gxOnid4vNB

— FearBuck (@FearedBuck) May 24, 2026

Now, TMZ reports that the promoters connected to the fight are investigating “possible foul play.” Furthermore, the probe is reportedly also being investigated by “an attorney and former federal prosecutor.”

RELATED: Internet Is Crackin’ UP At Chris Brown Telling Ray J Not To Get “Whooped” Moments Ahead Of Him Getting Knocked Out In Boxing Match (WATCH)

The Australian countryside is about to become a hunting ground. Next week marks the arrival of one of the most tense, under-the-radar action thrillers of the year on digital and VOD, Seven Snipers, pitting Man on Fire star Radha Mitchell against Pulp Fiction alum Tim Roth in a fierce battle of wits, patience, and survival. The former plays a retired elite sniper who has set her rifle down in favor of a quiet life on a ranch with her daughter, until the latter re-enters the picture, playing a warlord from her past with a score to settle. Ahead of its arrival in the U.S., we’re thrilled to include this intense showdown as part of Collider’s Exclusive Summer Preview series, and we can share a new image hinting at the previous connection the two once shared.

In our exclusive still, The Dragon (Roth) isn’t trying to kill Kris Hendricks (Mitchell), but is instead adjusting her headband as if they’re on the same side. However, the look on the veteran sniper’s face and the presence of another armed soldier suggest this isn’t voluntary. Hendricks was once the warlord’s captive and may have even been forced to do some of his dirty work, at least until something happened long ago that freed her from his grasp. Now, years later, she appears to have played into his hands once again, though this time, she’s not about to go down without a fight. Determined to save her daughter, she’ll do anything to stop The Dragon’s quest for revenge dead in its tracks.

Fortunately for Hendricks, she’s not alone in this fight. As the title Seven Snipers implies, she was once part of an entire team of legendary ex-military marksmen, who all show up to save one of their own when she makes the call. The Dragon has a ruthless reputation for a reason, though. It’ll take all the skills Hendricks has learned during her time in the service to vanquish the ghosts of her violent past for good. At its beating heart is the relationship of a mother trying to protect her daughter from that violence, only for them both to have to confront it head-on.

‘Seven Snipers’ Brings in Some Elite Names for Its Killer Squad

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Among the elite team members surrounding Mitchell in Seven Snipers is Ioan Gruffudd, best known as the former leader of the Fantastic Four, and True Blood star Ryan Kwanten, alongside Charles Cottier, Damien Ryan, and Bianca Wallace. The film hails from Sandra Sciberras with a script by Andrew O’Keefe, who previously helmed an adaptation of Fyodor Dostoevsky‘s landmark novel Crime & Punishment in 2015. It marks the debut production of Monster Pictures Studios, coming out of an ongoing partnership between the banner and Head Gear Films with Grant Hardie, Ian Kirk, and Phil Hunt producing. Reviews so far have been positive, praising the film as a straightforward yet engaging actioner that relishes in the thrill of the hunt.

Seven Snipers will arrive on digital and VOD platforms on June 5. Check out our exclusive image above and stay tuned here at Collider throughout the rest of the week for more new looks at upcoming films from our summer preview series.

Part one of the “Summer House” season 10 reunion has aired. In it, Ciara Miller can be seen confronting Amanda Batula and West Wilson on multiple fronts. This includes the former nurse revealing when she first suspected the affair between one of her closest friends and her ex.

Plus, she revealed text messages from Batula denying the rumors of a romance with Wilson.

During the “Summer House” reunion, host Andy Cohen asked Miller “when and why” she first suspected that Batula and Wilson were engaged in some sort of a relationship. She responded, “First day would be January 17.”

Miller then shared that she had reached out to Batula in order to invite her out to drinks along with their co-star, Mia Calabrese, but she didn’t answer right away. It wasn’t until after they began a group chat that Batula responded.

Additionally, Miller could see that her co-star’s location put her at Wilson’s house as she ignored her call. She said, “When I initially called you, you didn’t answer. So I was like, ‘That’s so weird. Why would she be at West’s house?”

Amanda Batula Claimed She Was ‘Prioritizing Herself’

The back-and-forth continued between Miller and Batula at the “Summer House” season 10 reunion. Regarding her defense for getting close to Wilson, Batula stated, “West was there for me all summer and was checking in.”

After being confronted for “blowing [Miller] off,” Calabrese accused Batula of “prioritizing her friendship with West.” In response, she claimed, “I had an awakening, I was living on my own, I had separated from my ex, and I was trying to prioritize myself.”

Batula then stated that she also spent time with other friends, not just Wilson, during her absences from Miller. Toward the end of this section of the “Summer House” reunion, Miller called out how Wilson seemingly had no interest in defending Batula during the heated exchange.

‘Summer House’ Fans Are Reacting

The “Summer House” season 10 reunion is one of Bravo’s most highly anticipated pieces of content for 2026. This is evidenced by the fact that the network was plagued by multiple leaks following its filming. Now that part one had aired, fans of the show have opinions, with many saying Batula and Wilson are no longer needed on reality television.

One person on Instagram said, “I think West isn’t saying anything because he wants to tell the truth and Amanda wants to lie about everything.” Someone else noted, “Zero remorse or accountability.”

After that, a different fan weighed in, writing, “I agree Amanda was in the wrong- but I also think Ciara overplayed her entire relationship with West. I don’t think they were ever as serious as she believed.”

Later, a different Instagram user said, “It was the ‘I had an awakening’ defense for me, with not a single ounce of remorse or accountability, while rolling her eyes, scoffing, and cursing back at Ciara the entire night. Ciara is a class act who deserves so much more than what these two did to her, and they will crash and burn.”

A different social media user then accused Miller of being petty. According to them, “Ciara is so petty. She doesn’t want West, but doesn’t want anyone else to have him. Again, petty bull.”

Lastly, someone else defended the former nurse, commenting, “There’s a very specific type of woman criticizing Ciara and using words like ‘nasty’ and ‘classless’. It’s very telling, and we all know why.”

Ciara Miller Also Exposed Text Messages From Amanda

Another explosive clip from part one of the “Summer House” season 10 reunion came when Miller exposed text messages from Batula. In them, she tried to shoot down rumors that she was having an affair with Wilson.

Miller stated, “The day the rumors dropped, don’t hear from her until like that night.” She then read the message, which concluded with Batula claiming, “West and I are very much so just friends.” Cohen then asked Batula if they were “hooking up at that time.”

She responded, saying, “We were talking. Everything was PG.” Miller then showed texts where she asked Batula outright if they had “hooked up, made out, held hands under a table, or had sex.” This led Batula to admit that she “100% lied.”

Ciara Recently Discussed Her Friendship With Amanda

Ahead of the “Summer House” reunion premiere, Miller spoke to PEOPLE about where she stands with Batula. First, she was asked if her affair with Wilson signaled the end of their friendship.

She responded, “Yeah, for sure. Yeah. I wouldn’t do this to my worst enemy.” Regarding the reunion itself, Miller claimed, “The reunion was quite the day, but we are on to bigger and better and, you know, we can say goodbye to certain things.”

Fans can stream part one of the “Summer House” reunion on Peacock.

Akbar V had the timeline in a frenzy last week after shaking up the female rap game. Not only did she declare herself the “Princess of Rap,” but she also threw shots at Latto and Megan Thee Stallion. She even put her own spin on Trim’s viral ‘Coconut Water’ song, where she appeared to diss Trim amid their latest back-and-forth.

Akbar continued to go at Latto as she discussed their alleged issues. From claiming Latto stole her “big mama” name to drama involving a mutual friend, the rapper had a lot to get off her chest. Following all the tweets, though, Akbar is now ready to set the record straight and clear the air for 21 Savage.

RELATED: Wayment! Akbar V Alleges Latto Has Smoke With Her Because She “Loved” 21 Savage First (VIDEO)

Akbar V Shades Latto Following Her Post With 21 Savage And Keyanna Joseph

Last Monday, Latto took to the internet to share behind-the-scenes footage from her pregnancy journey and upcoming music project. In the video, the rapper showed herself revealing her pregnancy to her sister, Brooklyn, and even moments from her baby shower.

The baby shower clip also featured 21 Savage, which quickly sparked reactions and conversation across social media platforms. Following the video, Akbar V took to X and wrote, “They applauding side b****es and b****es having babies with married men what is this world coming too pray for the daughters.”

She later followed up with another tweet, writing, “Trying so hard to prove you not a side b**** babe 😂😂😂😂😂😂😂😂 we get it.”

Despite the online shade, Akbar later showed love to 21 Savage after his recent photo dump featured a baby picture. The rapper tweeted, “Congratulations to @21savage ❤️ on your bundle of joy.”

As the conversation continued online, Latto later shared family photos alongside Keyanna Joseph, the mother of 21 Savage’s children. After the pictures hit the internet, Akbar V appeared to react once again while posting another message over on X. She tweeted, “🤣🤣🤣🤣not post a thousand family pictures … them pictures would’ve never hit the internet if i didn’t post that freestyle remember that🤣🤣🤣🤣 but ion have no influence they responding with pictures instead of Barz?🤣🤣🤣🥰”

Akbar V Takes To X With A Tweet For 21 Savage 

Despite taking shots at Latto, Akbar V wants 21 Savage to know none of it had anything to do with the love and respect she has for him. Previously, Akbar mentioned that she has a lot of love for 21 Savage because he was one of the first rappers to ever give her a feature.

On Tuesday, the rapper took to X and tagged 21, writing, “Let’s make this clear my diss don’t have nothing to do with @21savage i love my bro he a real 🥷🏼 and a gangster and yall know ion play bout ATL but baby girl know what she did this ain’t nun but rap nothing more 😏🤷🏽‍♀️🥷🏼”

Social Media Reacts 

Folks gathered under The Shade Room Teens as they reacted to Akbar V’s message to 21 Savage. While some people understood her message, others questioned why she was involving herself in the situation at all. A few users also accused Akbar of beefing for clout and told the rapper to log out. 

Instagram user @daonlyprincess_wrote, “Girl you not tired of talking to yourself …”

Instagram user @snowsimonnie added, “Akbar baby just logout for a week”

While Instagram user wrote @bawthatspatt wrote, “first trim now latto?? what’s tea akbar???”

Instagram user @skinnymini_renee wrote, “Mind you Latto still haven’t said nun 😑 want her attention so bad 😭😭”

Instagram user @ryann_ added, “She literally just had a baby leave her alone frl”

While Instagram user w@ambitious_never_thirsty wroe, “How that’s BRO and you disrespected hisGIRL/CHILD-MOTHER. You can’t have no type of love or respect for HIM for disrespecting/ coming at HIS. Yall don’t know the meaning of love or loyalty.”

REALTED: Akbar V Claims The “Princess Of Rap” Title While Seemingly Throwing Shade At Meg Thee Stallion, Latto & More (VIDEOS)