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Although Kirsten Dunst starred as one of the main characters in 1995's Jumanji, she did not appear in any of the sequels. However, director Jake Kasdan says the actor was left out because of how the original film ended.

"We love Kirsten. She's fantastic" Kasdan told The Hollywood Reporter. "From the time we did Welcome to the Jungle we were very focused on keeping a little bit of connectivity to the original movie, which we love. We've always wanted to honor it and keep enough of it alive. Also, the way the original movie ends, as brilliant as it is, creates a lot of plot complications in trying to continue the story with those characters."

Related The Equalizer Spinoff Eyed at CBS, Character Details Revealed

The potential spinoff will be led by two new characters.

"I don't know how well you remember it, but the world reverts back to what it was before,...

Fans of Robin Williams will be able to sit down and enjoy two of his much-loved movies from the 1990s thanks to Mrs. Doubtfire and Jumanji joining the Tubi library. The comedy movies are among the most beloved of Williams career, and now another generation can discover his genius for themselves without having to spend a dime.

In 1993, Williams gave one of his greatest comedy performances in Mrs. Doubtfire, playing divorcee Daniel, who disguises himself as a nanny in order to be able to see his children. While there are those who will say the movie is dated, it is hard to see the film as anything other than a hilarious, and often poignant, story about the lengths a parent will go to in order to be close to their children. In contrast, 1995s Jumanji is a rollicking adventure comedy in which Williams plays Alan Parrish, a man who has...

VFX artists explain why the original stampede scene from Jumanji still holds up 29 years after its release. The 1995 movie, directed by Joe Johnston, revolves around the eponymous board game and chaos that ensues when Judy (Kirsten Dunst) and Peter Shepherd (Bradley Pierce) discover its magic. Along with Dunst and Pierce, the film stars Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, a man stuck in Jumanji for over two decades. Various Jumanji movies have since been made, but the original is often considered a classic, and the performances and visual effects continue to be praised.

During Corridor Crews latest video, the VFX artists reacted to the stampede scene from Jumanji. Check it out below:

Almost immediately, Wren stated: This entire sequence, Im flabbergasted by it, as he revealed, it holds up because a lot of what the audience sees actually happened on set. Likening the stampede to something they previously filmed involving a tank,...

Kirsten Dunst reflects on working with Robin Williams in Jumanji, praises him as generous, kind, and funny. Jumanji, a family favorite film starring Robin Williams, Kirsten Dunst, has since spawned a modern franchise. Bradley Pierce also praises Robin Williams for protecting him and Dunst, making the work environment fun and easy.

Kirsten Dunst has reflected fondly on her time working with the late, great Robin Williams in the beloved fantasy adventure film, Jumanji. Speaking with Variety, Dunst, who was just 13 years old when she starred in the family blockbuster, remembers Williams as being generous, kind, and funny while revealing that the actor and comedian gifted her her first computer as a wrap gift when production on Jumanji ended.

"It was an Apple, the ones that came in all those different colors. He was like the most generous, kind, funny person.”

Directed by Joe Johnston from a screenplay by Jonathan Hensleigh,...

ABC announced a slew of news regarding their fall programming at the Television Critics Association Summer Press Tour on September 14, headlined by guest star announcements for the second season of recently-anointed Emmy-winner “Abbott Elementary.” Read below for a summary of ABC’s announcements from the TCA press conferences.

Guest Stars

Debuting on Wednesday, September 21, the second season of Quinta Brunson‘s hit show will feature recurring guest roles from actor Leslie Odom Jr., Lauren Weedman and Keyla Monterroso Mejia. Odom Jr. will play Draemond, the owner of a batch of charter schools in the area who visits Abbott. Weedman will play Kristin Marie, a hard-shelled teacher from a neighboring school that strikingly resembles one of Abbott’s own teachers. Monterroso Mejia plays a teacher’s aide whose lax personality contributes to classroom chaos at Abbott.

The show notched an Emmy award during Monday’s primetime ceremony, credited to Brunson for...

The CW will premiere the new, original made-for-television movie A Waltons Thanksgiving on Nov. 20.

The movie is a follow up to the network’s successful The Waltons’ Homecoming, which was was the network’s second most-watched special of the 2021-22 season. The latest flick reunites the Walton family as they prepare for Thanksgiving in 1934. The Depression has affected everyone, but John Walton (Teddy Sears) has found a way to provide for his family through the farm and by picking up odd jobs from the eccentric Baldwin Sisters. It’s also the time of year for the Annual Harvest Festival Fair, where carnival rides, talent shows and pie contests become the center of attention for the Waltons. As the story unfolds, John Boy (Logan Shroyer) learns the true meaning of taking responsibility, Mary Ellen (Marcelle LeBlanc) comes to understand patience and collaboration, Grandma (Rebecca Koon) finds that winning can be complicated,...

“It’s a daunting thing to carry on the Earl Hamner Jr. legacy,” declares Jim Strain about the task of bring a new incarnations of The Waltons to television. Strain served as writer and co-executive producer of the 2021 television film “The Waltons: Homecoming.” In our exclusive video interview (watch above), Strain talks about his love of the original series and the challenges of reimagining the characters for a new audience.

The new telefilm is an adaptation of 1971’s “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story” which first introduced viewers to the Walton family. That film’s success spawned the Emmy-winning drama “The Waltons,” which ran for nine seasons and spawned a number of reunion films. This new reimagining for The CW stars Bellamy Young as matriarch Olivia Walton and Logan Shroyer as eldest son John-Boy. Richard Thomas, who earned an Emmy for playing John-Boy in the original series, serves as the new film’s narrator.

The Waltons will return to The CW!

The network announced today a new, original made-for-television movie The Waltons' Thanksgiving will debut in the fourth quarter 2022.

An exact air date and time will be announced later.

"The holiday spirit is in the air on Walton Mountain in 1934 as the Walton family eagerly prepares for the annual Harvest Festival Fair in town," reads the network's description.

"Carnival rides, talent shows and pie contests come around every year, but at this year’s Harvest Festival Fair, a young boy arrives that will dramatically change the Waltons’ lives in ways that they could have never imagined."

From Warner Bros. Television, the latest movie is a follow-up to The CW’s original television movie The Waltons’ Homecoming, which was the network’s second most-watched special of the 2021-22 season.

The initial movie took home a 73rd Annual Christopher Award in Television, Cable and Streaming, as...

The CW announced a new movie, “The Waltons’ Thanksgiving,” which will debut in the fourth quarter of 2022. A follow-up to 2021’s “The Waltons’ Homecoming,” the special will feature Bellamy Young, Logan Shroyer and Richard Thomas reprising their roles with Teddy Sears newly joining the cast.

Set on Walton Mountain in 1934, “The Waltons’ Thanksgiving” follows the Walton family as they eagerly prepare for the annual Harvest Festival Fair. Carnival rides, talent shows and pie contests come around every year, but at this year’s fair, a young boy arrives that will dramatically change the Waltons’ lives in ways that they could have never imagined.

The TV movie that kicked off the Waltons franchise was 1971’s “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story.” Earl Hamner Jr. wrote the screenplay based on his own 1961 book and 1963 movie “Spencer’s Mountain.” “The Homecoming” was so well-received that CBS ordered a season of television using the same characters,...

The CW is bringing the Walton family back for another made-for-tv movie following the success of the 2021 holiday special The Waltons’ Homecoming. The Waltons’ Thanksgiving will debut in the fourth quarter of 2022.

Homecoming stars Bellamy Young, Logan Shroyer, and Richard Thomas are set to reprise their roles alongside newly added Teddy Sears. Sears will portray John Sr.

In The Waltons’ Thanksgiving, the holiday spirit is in the air on Walton Mountain in 1934 as the Walton family eagerly prepares for the annual Harvest Festival Fair in town. Carnival rides, talent shows, and pie contests come around every year, but at this year’s Harvest Festival Fair, a young boy arrives that will dramatically change the Waltons’ lives in ways that they could have never imagined.

The Waltons’ Homecoming was the network’s second most-watched special of the 2021-22 season.

The project is produced by Magnolia Hill Productions...

Another Waltons family made-for-tv movie is just around the corner. “The Waltons’ Thanksgiving” will debut later this year (fourth quarter 2022) on The CW.

Bellamy Young, Logan Shroyer and Richard Thomas will reprise their roles from the last TV movie, “The Waltons’ Homecoming,” for this latest film. Teddy Sears also joins the cast.

Thomas, who originally starred as John Boy Walton in the 1972 TV series “The Waltons,” will narrate the movie.

Here’s the logline for the film: “The holiday spirit is in the air on Walton Mountain in 1934 as the Walton family eagerly prepares for the annual Harvest Festival Fair in town. Carnival rides, talent shows and pie contests come around every year, but at this year’s Harvest Festival Fair, a young boy arrives that will dramatically change the Waltons’ lives in ways that they could have never imagined.”

“The Waltons’ Homecoming” debuted last year on The CW. The...

“The Waltons: Homecoming” special at CW has added ten new cast members.

Ben Lawson, Marcelle LeBlanc, Christian Finlayson, Tatum Matthews, Samuel Goergen, Callaway Corrick, Rebecca Koon, Alpha Trivette, Marilyn McCoo, and Billy Davis Jr. will all star in the special. They join previously announced stars Bellamy Young, who plays Olivia Walton, Logan Shroyer, who plays John Boy, and Richard Thomas, who originally starred as John Boy Walton in the beloved television series “The Waltons,” in the role of The Narrator.

“The Waltons: Homecoming” comes on the 50th anniversary of “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story,” which aired on CBS in 1971. It is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy (Shroyer), the 17-year-old eldest child of John (Lawson) and Olivia Walton (Young). His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers, and his father expects him to follow in his footsteps to help support the family,...

The CW has rounded out the cast for its original made-for-tv movie The Waltons’ Homecoming. Ben Lawson (Firefly Lane) stars as patriarch John Walton Sr., joining previously announced Bellamy Young (Scandal) who stars as his wife Olivia, Logan Shroyer (This is Us) as John Boy and Richard Thomas, who originally starred as John Boy Walton in The Waltons series, as “The Narrator.”

The Waltons’ Homecoming marks the 50th anniversary of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story television movie, which aired December 19, 1971, and launched the long-running series The Waltons, created by Earl Hamner.

The Waltons: Homecoming is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy, the 17-year-old eldest child of John and Olivia Walton. His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers, and his father expects him to follow in his footsteps to help support the family, but secretly, John Boy wants to be a writer.

The CW has filled out its Walton family for the upcoming TV movie “The Waltons’ Homecoming.”

Ben Lawson will play family patriarch John Walton Sr., joining the previously announced Bellamy Young (Olivia Walton), Logan Shroyer (John Boy) and original cast member Richard Thomas, who will narrate as older John Boy.

The other new cast additions include Marcelle Le Blanc (Mary Ellen), Christian Finlayson (Jason), Tatum Matthew (Erin), Samuel Goergen (Jim Bob), Callaway Corrick (Elizabeth), Rebecca Coon (Grandma Walton), Alpha Trivette (Grandpa Walton), Marilyn McCoo (Sister Harriet) and Billy Davis Jr. (Brother William).

Timed to the 50th anniversary of the original movie that launched the series, “The Waltons’ Homecoming” will revisit the franchise and will air during the holiday season.

The film is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy. Here is the full description:

His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers,...

The CW is rebooting The Waltons, giving the wholesome fictional family new life 50 years after they first appeared on television. In the spirit of the holiday season, the network has just announced three new specials to be released in the fourth quarter of this year. Along with The Waltons' Homecoming, other projects to be announced include the animated projects The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special and Beebo Saves Christmas.

A complete reboot with no connection to the original series, The Waltons' Homecoming will mark the 50th anniversary of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story. That was the TV movie that served as the launchpad for The Waltons by introducing the family to TV audiences in December 1971. It was not initially intended to spawn a TV series, but the success of the movie resulted in the show entering production at CBS. It spanned nine seasons and spawned several movies that continued the story.

Per THR,...

The CW has lined up three original specials for premiere in fourth quarter 2021 — original made-for-tv movie The Waltons’ Homecoming, The Scooby Doo Reunion Special and holiday adventure Beebo Saves Christmas. Dates and times will be announced later.

The Waltons’ Homecoming marks the 50th anniversary of The Homecoming: A Christmas Story television movie, which aired December 19, 1971, and launched the long-running series The Waltons. Bellamy Young (Scandal) stars as Olivia, Logan Shroyer (This Is Us) as John Boy and Richard Thomas, who originally starred as John Boy Walton in The Waltons series, as “The Narrator.”

Per the description: The Waltons’ Homecoming is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy, the 17-year-old eldest child of John and Olivia Walton. His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers, and his father expects him to follow in his footsteps to help support the family,...

The CW has commissioned three new TV specials for late 2021: “The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special,” “The Waltons: Homecoming,” and “Beebo Saves Christmas.”

In “The Scooby-Doo Reunion Special,” the Mystery Inc. gang reunites at Warner Bros. Studios to reminisce about their favorite cases and how they were filmed. But it turns out that the backlot may have its own monster problem. Fred, Daphne, Velma, Shaggy and Scooby-Doo investigate this mystery while celebrating the legacy of the franchise during this one-hour special.

Jonathan Stern will executive produce the special, which hails from Warner Bros. Animation and Warner Bros. Unscripted Television in association with Warner Horizon and Abominable Pictures.

“The Waltons: Homecoming” comes on the 50th anniversary of “The Homecoming: A Christmas Story,” which aired on CBS in 1971. It is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy, the 17-year-old eldest child of John and Olivia Walton. His...

The CW has picked up three specials to air at the end of the year, including a new “The Waltons” movie starring Bellamy Young, “This Is Us” alum Logan Shroyer and original series star Richard Thomas.

Timed to the 50th anniversary of the original movie that launched the series, “The Waltons’ Homecoming” will revisit the franchise, with Young taking up the role of Olivia Walton and Shroyer playing her 17-year-old son, John Boy. Thomas, who starred as the original John Boy, will narrate the film.

The film is set in the 1933 Depression Era and told through the eyes of John Boy. Here is the full description:

His mother expects John Boy to help her raise his sisters and brothers, and his father expects him to follow in his footsteps to help support the family, but secretly, John Boy wants to be a writer. Times are hard enough in 1933, but to make matters worse,...

Oscar winners Melissa Leo and Ray McKinnon and Emmy winners Jessica Collins, Camryn Manheim, Timothy Busfield, and Patricia Wettig are among 19 new castings for Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings, an anthology based on the stories and inspirations behind Parton’s most beloved songs.

New and classic Parton music will score every episode for the Netflix anthology. Each story will vary in tone, from love stories and inspirational tales to family dramas, Westerns and revenge comedies.

Each episode will begin with an introduction by Parton talking/singing to the camera (as herself) about the meaning behind each song. Parton will also star/guest star in some stories. Each episode is a stand-alone story and will have a different cast.

Produced by Magnolia Hill Productions and Sandollar Productions in association with Warner Bros Television for Netflix, Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings will premiere this year, exact date Tbd.

Executive producers include Sam Haskell, Parton...

Former Once Upon A Time star Colin O’Donoghue has been cast in the titular role in Dolly Parton’s Heartstings: Jj Sneed, an episode of Netflix’s upcoming eight-episode anthology series that showcases the stories, memories and inspirations behind Parton’s most beloved songs. Willa Fitzgerald (Scream: The TV Series), David Denman (13 Hours), Mac Davis and Vanessa Rubio (Cobra Kai) round out the cast, joining Parton in the series which launches at once in 2019. Each episode is a standalone story with a different cast.

In the Jj Sneed episode, written by Jim Strain and directed by Terry McDonough, O’Donoghue plays Jj Sneed, Fitzgerald portrays Maddie, Denman is Deke Fletcher, Davis will play Reverend Riggs and Rubio is Cimmaron.

Set in the 1880s, the episode centers around a feisty young woman trapped in a mundane existence who dreams of more, until a seductive outlaw pulls her into the adventure of a lifetime.

Exclusive: Gerald McRaney (This Is Us), Brooke Elliott (Drop Dead Diva), Designated Survivor alum Ben Lawson, Michele Weaver (Love Is___), Delta Burke (Designing Women), and Tim Reid (Greenleaf) are set to star in Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: If I Had Wings, an episode of Netflix’s upcoming eight-episode anthology series, which showcases the stories, memories, and inspirations behind Parton’s most beloved songs.

In the “If I Had Wings” episode, after receiving invitations to the 70th birthday party of their decades-long estranged father Tom Freeman (McRaney), three disparate siblings, Clay (Lawson), Nancy (Elliott) and Phyllis (Weaver) converge on a Mississippi farm where they test the bonds of blood and issues of faith, all to confront the sins of their father. The episode is written by Jim Strain and directed by Timothy Busfield. Burke, who is married to McRaney in real-life, plays Ellie Holder, Tom’s girlfriend, and Reid portrays Kendal Hooks,...

“Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings” has set the cast for the “These Old Bones” episode.

Kathleen Turner, Ginnifer Goodwin, and Kyle Bornheimer will all star in the episode of the anthology series in which each episode is based around one of Parton’s most famous songs.

The episode, which is set in the 1940s, follows a determined D.C. lawyer who returns to her small Smoky Mountain hometown to prove herself professionally when a mysterious old mountain woman, who locals believe to be a fortune teller, threatens a lumber company’s business. What results is a test of faith along with shocking secrets from the past.

Turner will play Miss Mary Shaw, a.k.a. Old Bones. Goodwin will play Genevieve, and Bornheimer will play Landon. Jim Strain will write the episode with Joe Lazarov directing.

The three join the previously announced stars of the “Jolene” episode of the series: Julianne Hough,...

Kathleen Turner, Ginnifer Goodwin and Kyle Bornheimer are set to star in Dolly Parton’s Heartstrings: These Old Bones, an episode of Netflix’s upcoming eight-episode anthology series that showcases the stories, memories and inspirations behind Parton’s most beloved songs. All eight episodes will launch at once in 2019.

This is the second episode of the anthology series to have its cast announced following Jolene, which will star Julianne Hough as the title character, Kimberly Williams-Paisley, Dallas Roberts and Parton.

In These Old Bones, written by Jim Strain and directed by Joe Lazarov, Turner will play Miss Mary Shaw, aka Old Bones; Goodwin will play Genevieve; and Bornheimer will play Landon.

In the 1940s, a determined D.C. lawyer returns to her small Smoky Mountain hometown to prove herself professionally when a mysterious old mountain woman, who locals believe to be a fortune teller, threatens a lumber company’s business.

The second installment of the Netflix anthology series Dolly Parton's Heartstrings has cast its lead roles.

Ginnifer Goodwin (Once Upon a Time), Kathleen Turner and Kyle Bornheimer (Brooklyn Nine-Nine) will star in an episode based on Parton's song "These Old Bones." Each of the eight episodes will be based on a different one of the music legend's songs. 

The series' first episode, "Jolene," will star Julianne Hough, Kimberly Williams-Paisley and Dallas Roberts along with Parton, who will also introduce each episode.

Jim Strain (Jumanji) is writing "These Old Bones," and Joe ...

Here's a little announcement that slipped by us. Zapper, a dark comedy about the rise and fall of a teenage evangelist, is heading to the big screen from Whitewater Films. Rick Rosenthal ("Bad Boys") will direct from a screenplay by Jim Strain ("Jumanji"). The film takes a satirical look at a young preacher who becomes a local sensation after appearing to communicate with the dead through a TV remote control. Whitewater's Valeska Ramet, Doug Sutherland and Gary Dean Simpson will produce the film. Whitewater president Rosenthal, whose helming credits also include Dimension's "Halloween: Resurrection," is now casting the indie feature. The production company's other films include the thriller "Mean Creek," the Lisa Kudrow comedy "Kabluey" and the upcoming drama "Greta" starring Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn.

NEW YORK -- "Zapper", a dark comedy about the rise and fall of a teenage evangelist, is heading to the big screen from Whitewater Films.

Rick Rosenthal ("Bad Boys") will direct from a screenplay by Jim Strain ("Jumanji"). The film takes a satirical look at a young preacher who becomes a local sensation after appearing to communicate with the dead through a TV remote control.

Whitewater's Valeska Ramet, Doug Sutherland and Gary Dean Simpson will produce the film. Whitewater president Rosenthal, whose helming credits also include Dimension's "Halloween: Resurrection", is now casting the indie feature.

The production company's other films include the thriller "Mean Creek", the Lisa Kudrow comedy "Kabluey" and the upcoming drama "Greta" starring Hilary Duff and Ellen Burstyn.

Strain is repped by Above the Line Agency.