Forget Dunesday — Jack Black says this December belongs to “Doomanji”
Jack Black reckons December’s big movie showdown shouldn’t be called “Dunesday” — and he’s got a cheeky rebrand in mind that brings Jumanji into the scrap.
Christmas at the cinema is shaping up for a bit of a punch-up — at least, if you listen to Jack Black. He reckons this December's so-called "Dunesday" is missing a trick, and he's got his sights set on a different title for the month’s massive movie face-off, thanks to Jumanji: Open World muscling in alongside the already hyped-up Avengers and Dune sequels.
Mainstream chatter online has been all over the term "Dunesday", thanks to Avengers: Doomsday and Dune: Part III landing in cinemas round about the same time. That moniker actually sprang from none other than Robert Downey Jr. and Timothée Chalamet — a bit of showboating in the style of "Barbenheimer", if you remember the Barbie/Oppenheimer clash from 2023.
In a typically over-the-top, explorer-style get-up, Jack Black went straight to camera in a promo and said: "I heard someone saying, 'It's going to be DunesDay.' Nah dude, it's going to be Doomanji."
Sony have been gleeful, posting the video to the official Jumanji account along with a pushy bit of marketing — "Get ready for Doomanji. #Jumanji: Open World – exclusively in movie theatres this Christmas." You really can't accuse them of subtlety.
Who's in the running, then?
Jumanji: Open World isn't trying to shove the other two blockbusters out of the way, but it definitely wants a piece of the December pie. Returning to the jungle this time are Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black himself and Karen Gillan, sticking to the video game avatar schtick and — whether we like it or not — rounding out the reboot trilogy.
Jumanji: Open World is set for exclusive release in cinemas this Christmas, wrapping up a trilogy that started back in 2017.
Original Jumanji diehards might raise an eyebrow at all the sequels, but there's no denying the 2017 reboot (Welcome to the Jungle) and 2019's The Next Level both pulled in serious box office. Jake Kasdan is directing again, so no big surprises behind the camera.
- Avengers: Doomsday (out December 18)
- Dune: Part III (ditto, December 18)
- Jumanji: Open World (full Christmas Day release, just to keep things spicy)
This year's lineup almost dares you to pick sides — team superheroes, team spice, or hang your hat on whatever madness Jack Black's cooked up for "Doomanji". Either way, that's the festive cinema calendar sorted, if you've actually got the stamina for a triple bill and don't fancy pretending you don't care who wins.