Jumanji: The Next Level producer teases film 'universe'

The 'Jumanji: The Next Level' team are building a movie "universe".

Producer Hiram Garcia has opened up about the big screen blockbuster - which stars Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Karen Gillan and Jack Black - and he explained how both the new film and 2017's 'Welcome to the Jungle' look to expand the world of the original 1995 classic.

Speaking to the 'ReelBlend' podcast, he said: "That world existed. What happened there, you know, you feel elements of it, even in this movie.

"And so for us, the idea of expanding the 'Jumanji' universe, and the idea of there [being] different versions of the game, there's different ways the game can challenge you. And the bigger we can make the universe, the more opportunities and challenges we can give to our heroes.

"You've met some of the avatars, you meet new avatars in this movie, and when you start to get into that space where now we're creating a 'Jumanji' universe and every time you beat one version of the game, there's a new one."

Garcia insisted the team behind the two sequels never wanted to "remake" the original film - which starred the late Robin Williams - but instead wanted to build on what had come before.

He added: "The first 'Jumanji', the very first one with Robin Williams, is so beloved. It was beloved to us and what was important to us when we went and made 'Welcome to the Jungle' was [that] we didn't want to remake 'Jumanji'.

"That was never the goal. Because you want to let such a beloved film like that, that means so much to so many people, stand on its own.

"And we wanted to build upon it. We wanted to expand that universe. So that's why we always acknowledge the movie."