Jumanji is one of the most famous movies by Robin Williams, but did you also know that there is a spiritual successor connected to the classic? You can still watch it on Netflix for a short time.
Which movie is it about? In 2005, Zathura – A Space Adventure was released in theaters. It was one of the first roles for both Josh Hutcherson (The Hunger Games, Five Nights at Freddy’s) and Kristen Stewart (Twilight, Love Lies Bleeding). Directed by Jon Favreau, who directed the first MCU hit with Iron Man three years later.
In the movie, two brothers find a board game in their father’s basement, who had to leave for an appointment quickly. But the board game is enchanted and catapults the house in which the two brothers are located into space. As in Jumanji, the only way for them to save themselves is to finish the board game, even if they are exposed to increasingly larger dangers.
That sounds very much like the concept of Jumanji, just in a sci-fi guise. This is no coincidence, as the templates for both films are connected.
Zathura and Jumanji
How are the two films connected? Both films adapt books by Chris Van Allsburg. He wrote Jumanji in 1981 and Zathura in 2002. In the book as well as in the movie Zathura, the two brothers Danny and Walter argue after the former throws a ball at the latter. Walter angrily chases after him, and Danny flees to a park.
There, Walter attacks Danny and they find the game Jumanji at a tree and take it home. However, Danny wasn’t really interested in the game, which he found boring. Under the box, however, another game was hidden: Zathura. With its sci-fi ambience, the new board game piqued the boy’s interest, and he starts to play (source: YouTube).
The film does not have the part with Jumanji. There, the brothers argue, and Danny directly finds the game Zathura, hidden in the basement.
The illustrated book by Chris Van Allsburg thus shows that Zathura takes place in the same universe as Jumanji. One could even assume that Zathura is the game Jumanji, which has transformed to be more appealing to Danny. After all, Jumanji has also transformed in the later sequels.
What does MeinMMO editor Nikolas Hernes say about Zathura? As a child, Zathura was played quite frequently at our home. Although the film lacks that charming support that Robin Williams represents in Jumanji, Zathura is still worth watching because it has that family film atmosphere that I somewhat miss nowadays.
If you’re in the mood for a quick sci-fi adventure that doesn’t necessarily focus on world destruction, you’ll have fun with Zathura. And to be honest: Zathura is a better sequel than the new Jumanji films.
How long can I still watch Zathura on Netflix? If you want to watch Zathura, you should hurry. The film is still available on Netflix until March 28, 2026. Did you know that Jumanji could also have been finished quickly? The board game Jumanji could have been finished in just a few minutes if you had looked closely at the rules
