The ’90s Blockbuster That Quietly Became a Free Streaming Sensation Ahead of Its New Sequel

The Rise of Jumanji as a Streaming Sensation

The 1995 fantasy adventure film Jumanji, starring Robin Williams, has made a remarkable comeback by securing a spot on Tubi’s Top 10 chart. After being added to the streamer’s library at the start of the month, the movie has quickly gained traction among viewers in the United States. According to FlixPatrol, it is currently ranked No. 10 on Tubi’s list.

This achievement highlights the enduring appeal of Jumanji, which remains one of two family-friendly titles in Tubi’s Top 10. The other is Ron’s Gone Wrong, an animated feature that climbed to No. 4, up three spots from the previous day. The rest of the top five consists entirely of action films: The Equalizer 2 (No. 1), Men in Black (No. 2), Prey (No. 3), and Geostorm (No. 5).

A Classic with a New Life

Directed by Joe Johnston, Jumanji is based on the 1981 children’s picture book of the same name by Chris Van Allsburg. The film follows the story of a supernatural board game that unleashes jungle-based dangers on its players with every turn. Robin Williams and Bonnie Hunt play Alan Parrish and Sarah Whittle, who begin playing the game in 1969. Alan is sucked into the game, leaving Sarah unable to finish it. He remains trapped in Jumanji for 26 years until siblings Judy and Peter Shepherd find the game in their attic and resume playing it. However, this leads to the jungle being unleashed on their town, forcing them to work together to finish the game and restore normalcy.

At the time of its release, Jumanji was praised for its state-of-the-art digital effects, which brought the jungle animals to life. The film was a massive success, grossing $263 million worldwide on a budget of $65 million.

Dwayne Johnson’s Reboot Revives the Franchise

In recent years, Jumanji has seen a resurgence in popularity thanks to a successful reboot in 2017. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle served as a legacy sequel to the 1995 movie and became a surprise box office hit, earning $962.5 million worldwide. The film updated the story from a board game to a video game, with players being sucked into the game rather than the jungle coming to them.

Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillian played the avatars that the players found themselves embodying within the game. Rhys Darby and Bobby Cannavale appeared as NPCs in the game, while Nick Jonas portrayed the avatar of a human who had been trapped in Jumanji since 1996.

The success of Welcome to the Jungle led to a sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level, released in 2019. Like its predecessor, it was a box office hit, grossing $800 million worldwide. A third and final sequel to Jumanji is currently in production and set to be released in theaters in December 2026.

Available for Free on Tubi

Despite its age, Jumanji continues to captivate audiences, and now it is available to stream for free on Tubi. This accessibility has contributed to its recent rise in popularity, making it a must-watch for fans of the original and newcomers alike.