Nick Jonas is officially back in the game. A newly released trailer for Jumanji: Open World has confirmed that the singer-actor is returning as Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough, the fan-favorite pilot avatar from the previous two films. The new look arrived on October 28, 2026, and gives audiences the clearest picture yet of how the final chapter in the current Jumanji trilogy will unfold.
The trailer carries a simple but heavy promise: “one final game.” It also confirms that the game itself has broken out of its console and is now causing chaos in the real world. For Nick Jonas fans, the brief but clear shot of Seaplane is the moment they were waiting for.
Nick Jonas Returns as Seaplane in New Trailer
The new trailer, released by Sony Pictures Entertainment, includes a clip that shows Nick Jonas back in the role of Jefferson “Seaplane” McDonough. Seaplane was first introduced in Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (2017) as an in-game avatar who helps the main characters navigate the dangers of Jumanji. He returned in Jumanji: The Next Level (2019) and now completes the trilogy with Jumanji: Open World.
Nick Jonas is not the only returning star. The trailer confirms that the core four avatars are all back: Dwayne Johnson as Dr. Xander “Smolder” Bravestone, Jack Black as Professor Sheldon “Shelly” Oberon, Karen Gillan as Ruby Roundhouse, and Kevin Hart as Franklin “Mouse” Finbar. The film also brings back Alex Wolff, Ser’Darius Blain, Madison Iseman, Morgan Turner, Rhys Darby, Awkwafina, and Danny DeVito.
The return of Seaplane is a small but meaningful piece of the final film. His character has been a bridge between the game world and the players since the 2017 movie, and his presence in the new trailer signals that the final game will bring back familiar faces alongside the new chaos.
What the New Trailer Shows About the Story
The trailer opens with jungle animals running through a quiet suburb during the Christmas season. Spencer Gilpin (Alex Wolff) begins to suspect that Jumanji is bleeding into the real world, and his fears are confirmed when his mother, Marin Hinkle, gets pulled into the game. She ends up in the body of Dr. Smolder Bravestone (Dwayne Johnson), while Spencer finds himself in the body of Ruby Roundhouse (Karen Gillan).
The body-swapping comedy that made the previous two films popular is back in full force. A chef named Donatas (Dan Hildebrand) enters the game as Professor Sheldon Oberon (Jack Black), and a young nephew named Tyson (Jack Jewkes) ends up as Franklin “Mouse” Finbar (Kevin Hart). The trailer also shows that the avatars are stuck in what Spencer calls “demo mode,” a glitch that leaves the video game characters behaving like unfinished versions of themselves in the real world.
The stakes are laid out clearly: if the heroes lose the game, their home will be destroyed. The trailer ends with the promise of “one final game,” setting up a conclusion that ties together the real-world chaos and the in-game adventure.
The Full Cast Coming Back for One Last Game
Jumanji: Open World brings together one of the largest ensemble casts of the franchise. The main avatars are played by Dwayne Johnson, Jack Black, Kevin Hart, and Karen Gillan. The real-world players include Alex Wolff as Spencer, Ser’Darius Blain as Fridge, Madison Iseman as Bethany, and Morgan Turner as Martha.
Nick Jonas returns as Seaplane, and Awkwafina is back as Ming Fleetfoot. Danny DeVito returns as Eddie Gilpin, and Rhys Darby is back as Nigel Billingsley. The film also adds Marin Hinkle and Burn Gorman to the cast.
Director Jake Kasdan returns for the third film in the current trilogy. He directed both Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and Jumanji: The Next Level, and he co-wrote the screenplay for Open World with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. The film is produced by Matt Tolmach, Jake Kasdan, Dwayne Johnson, Dany Garcia, and Hiram Garcia.
Release Date and Where to Watch
Jumanji: Open World is scheduled to open in theaters on December 25, 2026. The Christmas Day release places it in a busy holiday window for cinemas worldwide.
For audiences in the United States, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia, the film arrives in theaters on December 25, 2026. In India, Sony Pictures Entertainment India will release the film in English, Hindi, Tamil, and Telugu, also on December 25, 2026. Moviegoers in other global markets should check local cinema listings for exact showtimes and language options.
The holiday release sets up a crowded box office period. Jumanji: Open World arrives a week after Dune: Part Three and Avengers: Doomsday, both scheduled for December 18, 2026. In India, the film will compete with Shah Rukh Khan‘s King, which is also slated for a holiday release.
The Poster That Started the Countdown
A new poster for Jumanji: Open World was shared by Dwayne Johnson on October 19, 2026, giving fans their first official look at the film’s marketing. The poster shows the faces of Johnson, Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart stacked vertically, with ostriches crowding in from both sides on a snowy street. The tagline reads: “Two worlds collide. One final game.”
Johnson shared the poster on Instagram with a caption that made the film’s finality clear:
“Two worlds collide. One final game. #Jumanji: Open World – the last game is coming exclusively to movie theatres CHRISTMAS DAY.”
The poster and the new trailer together mark the final marketing push for a franchise that began its current run in 2017. Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle earned more than $950 million worldwide, and Jumanji: The Next Level collected more than $801 million. The new film is being billed as the closing chapter of the trilogy that started with those two movies.
What the Stars Have Said
Jack Black has been vocal about his experience working on the film. At CinemaCon earlier this year, he told the audience that the new movie was his favorite of the series so far:
“I’ve never had more fun working on a movie. This is my favorite so far.”
Dwayne Johnson also reflected on the franchise on social media, writing that the journey has been a major part of his career:
“All jokes aside, our Jumanji journey has been the greatest of a lifetime.”
Karen Gillan, who plays Ruby Roundhouse, previously teased the film by saying she was “laughing the whole time” during production. The new trailer supports that tone, mixing large-scale action with the body-swap comedy that has become the signature of the modern Jumanji films.
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A Quick Recap of the Jumanji Movies
The Jumanji franchise began with the 1995 film starring Robin Williams, based on Chris Van Allsburg‘s 1981 children’s book. The series was reimagined in 2017 with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle, which introduced the video game concept and the avatar body-swap premise. Jumanji: The Next Level followed in 2019, bringing back the same core cast and expanding the game world.
Jumanji: Open World flips the premise by bringing the game into the real world. The avatars are no longer just inside the console, and the players must find a way to stop the chaos from destroying their home. The film is the fourth overall in the franchise and the third in the current trilogy.
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