Is 'Jumanji 2' A Video Game? Board Game Eliminated From Remake

"Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" trailer made its debut Thursday without the board game in sight. Instead, the makers of the film decided to give the original a facelift, swapping out the outdated board game concept for a digitized video game.

As a result, fans of the 1995 film may not be satisfied with this modernized transformation.

Read: ‘Jumanji’ Remake Spoilers: Kirsten Dunst To Make A Cameo In Reboot?

Eliminating the board game came naturally to the makers behind the reboot. During a CinemaCon interview in March, the film's Director Jake Kasdan — "Bad Teacher" — spoke with Forbes about what led to the use of video game tropes instead of the outdated board game concept. Sony also unveiled exclusive footage from "Jumanji" at the festival.

"It was a by-product of the story we were telling. It was something I thought they were handling in a interesting way in the script and that we kind of ran to as I started working on it, is that ... What if the rules of a video game applied, but the reality was just completely tactile and real?" Kasdan told Forbes. "It never feels like you're in a video game in that things don't look like a video game. It looks like a jungle, and it is a jungle. We shot the movie entirely, practically, and all the textures are real."

Kasdan wanted the film to be a continuation of the original, but have the ability to have its own identity separate from the Robin Williams version, saying: "I loved the original movie, and it was a really cool extension of that, but it was vital to us that it stand on its own and be its own thing."

The Sony-Columbia reboot goes digital as a group of four high school students discovers the retro video game console while cleaning up their school's basement as punishment. The students are unwillingly sucked into the game, taking on the form of the avatars they've chosen. The avatars are played by Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black and Karen Jillian. Nick Jonas also makes a cameo in the game as the students' jungle tour guide.

Although Sony and Columbia decided the film needed to receive the digital treatment, the initial object of the game still stands. The players will have to endure a dangerous adventure to win or else they'll remain a part of the game forever.

Read: The Rock Debuts ‘Jumanji’ Movie Trailer And Explains Touching Reason For Reboot

With the trailer's worldwide premiere Thursday, the Twitterverse had mixed feelings on the matter. Some users are excited for the updated flick, while others see it as another sequel by name association only, using the name to sell the film. One user wrote, "#JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle feels like Sony just took an unused script laying around studio lot & slapped the Jumanji brand onto it."

After news broke in 2016 that the "Jumanji" reboot was greenlit, Johnson — who also serves as the film's producer — took to Instagram to address the concerns of fans who worried the reboot wouldn't live up to the hype.

"This new movie will NOT be a remake or reboot of the original. It will be a CONTINUATION of the awesome JUMANJI adventure 20 years later," Johnson wrote. "As a producer on this movie and someone who loves the original, you have my word we'll honor the legend of "Alan Parrish" and properly introduce a whole new generation to the fun and crazy JUMANJI universe that so many of us loved and grew up on."

He then added: "It's such a cool thing for me to bring the production of this movie to Hawaii. The positive ripple effect it has on local businesses and families in terms of creating jobs and additional income makes me very happy."

For those nostalgic for the Jumanji board game and its absence from the updated "continuation," interested consumers can get their hands on the game through online sellers eBay and Amazon. Prices for the Milton-Bradley board game can peak towards to $90 range.

What do you think of the new "Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle" trailer?

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