Danny DeVito Cast in ‘Jumanji’ Sequel

As if the returning cast for the next Jumanji film wasn’t already stacked, another beloved Hollywood star is joining the ranks.

According to Variety, It’s Always Sunny in Philadelphia’s Danny DeVito has signed on to join the upcoming sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle. DeVito will join the returning core cast of Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, and Karen Gillan.

This is the second major casting for the Jumanji sequel in as many days. On Thursday, it was revealed that 2018 comedy breakout Awkwafina (Crazy Rich Asians, Ocean’s 8) had also boarded the film.

As of now, any details regarding the plot and new characters are being kept under wraps. One thing is for certain though, there will be lofty expectations for the follow-up. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle rode the waves of positive reviews and word of mouth to net more than $960 million globally. The follow-up was immediately greenlit by Sony with an expected release around Christmas 2019.

In addition to starring in the franchise, Dwayne Johnson also serves as an executive producer, and he couldn’t be more thrilled to have DeVito coming on board for the sequel.

“The magic of Jumanji is who becomes who,” Johnson said. “And the idea of Danny DeVito joining our cast was too irresistible and something we knew we wanted to deliver to our audience this upcoming Christmas. Dwanta Claus loves everyone.”

The original Jumanji was released in 1995 and starred Robin Williams as a man who had been trapped inside the jungles of a Jumanji board game since he was a teenager. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle told an updated version of the story in which four teenagers were sucked into an old video game, appearing as playable characters rather than themselves.

Kasdan is returning to direct the sequel with a script he co-wrote alongside Scott Rosenberg and Jeff Pinkner. Matt Tolmach is set to produce with Kasdan and Johnson’s Seven Bucks production company.

Are you excited for the Jumanji sequel? How do you feel about the new casting decisions? Let us know in the comments!