What to read, watch, and listen to if you lovedJumanji
Joe Johnston · Film · 1995
If you loved Jumanji, start with Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle (Jake Kasdan, 2017) — a film from the same story. Below: 4 books, 4 series and 2 podcasts, each matched to Jumanji across media.
What hooked you in Jumanji was the way the boundary between everyday life and dangerous, imaginative chaos suddenly dissolves.
Start with the source
Adaptation
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle
Jake Kasdan · Film · 2017
Adaptation
Jumanji: The Next Level
Jake Kasdan · Film · 2019
Books on the same thread
Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone
J. K. Rowling · Book · 1997
Explores: Good vs. Evil, Orphanhood, Friendship.
Like Jumanji, this story centers on young people pulled from their ordinary lives into a high-stakes world where childhood imagination manifests as a powerful, tangible reality.
The Hobbit
J. R. R. Tolkien · Book · 1937
Explores: Good vs. Evil, Courage, The Hero's Journey.
You loved the perilous, unpredictable adventure of Jumanji, and you will find that same sense of a transformative quest in this classic tale of a reluctant hero.
James and the Giant Peach
Roald Dahl · Book · 1961
Shares 2 threads with Jumanji: Escapism, Magical Realism.
Much like the board game in Jumanji, this story uses surreal, magical events to disrupt a mundane life, forcing the characters to overcome adversity through unexpected, imaginative journeys.
Harry Potter and the Prisoner of Azkaban
J. K. Rowling · Book · 1999
Shares a thread with Jumanji: Magical Realism.
If the encroaching danger in Jumanji kept you captivated, you will appreciate how this story blends the comfort of home with a sudden, dark intrusion of magical threats.
Series on the same thread
Goosebumps
R.L. Stine · Series · 1995
Explores: Overcoming Fears, Monsters, Small Town Secrets.
This series mirrors the way Jumanji makes the familiar feel terrifying, as ordinary children face bizarre, supernatural monsters that turn their everyday settings into dangerous, suspenseful playgrounds.
Animaniacs
Series · 1993
Shares a thread with Jumanji: Escapism.
The chaotic, unpredictable energy that erupts into the living room in Jumanji is perfectly captured by these characters whose very existence represents a complete breakdown of normal order.
Adventure Time
Pendleton Ward · Series · 2010
Explores: Friendship, Coming of Age, Existentialism.
Just as the siblings in Jumanji must navigate a shifting, mystical landscape, these friends traverse a surreal world where imagination and danger are inextricably linked in every adventure.
Dragon Ball Z
Series · 1989
Explores: Good vs Evil, Protecting Earth, Transformations.
The high-stakes battles against encroaching creatures in Jumanji find a grander scale here as characters must protect their world from relentless invaders using extraordinary, otherworldly power.
Podcasts on the same thread
The Adventure Zone
The McElroys · Podcast · 2026
Explores: improvised storytelling, group dynamics, high fantasy satire.
This actual play podcast captures the spontaneous, rule-breaking spirit of a dangerous game, much like the way the players in Jumanji must adapt to an evolving, unpredictable narrative.
The Joe Rogan Experience
Joe Rogan · Podcast · 2026
Explores: intellectual curiosity, unfiltered dialogue, lifestyle exploration.
If Jumanji hit, The Joe Rogan Experience shares the thread.
Keep exploring
Common questions
What order should I watch the Jumanji movies in?
You should start with the 1995 Jumanji film directed by Joe Johnston. After finishing the original, you can continue the series by watching the sequels Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle released in 2017 and Jumanji: The Next Level released in 2019.
Is Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle a direct sequel to the 1995 film?
Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle acts as a follow-up to the 1995 Jumanji movie. While the original involves siblings discovering an enchanted board game, the 2017 sequel continues the franchise by expanding on the magical world introduced in the first film.
How long was Alan trapped inside the game in the original Jumanji?
In the 1995 movie Jumanji, the character Alan is trapped inside the enchanted board game for exactly 26 years. He is only released when siblings Judy and Peter discover the game and unwittingly invite him into their living room to finish the session.
What is the main goal in the 1995 Jumanji movie?
The main goal for the characters in Jumanji is to finish the enchanted board game. Completing the game is the only way to secure freedom for Alan, who has been trapped inside for 26 years, while avoiding dangerous creatures like giant rhinoceroses and evil monkeys.