Take it from Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson himself: Jack Black is joining the cast of Jumanji. Johnson hopped onto Instagram this afternoon to confirm reports that Black was joining the Jake Kasdan-directed reboot, which is scheduled to land in theaters sometime next summer. He also confirmed that Kevin Hart is part of what he termed "the Jumanji Breakfast Club," a casting that's been rumored for weeks.
"[The] world loves Jack Black and so do we," wrote Johnson in an attached comment. "Been a big fan of his work over the years. A brilliant actor who I'm confident will turn in a performance of a lifetime for Jumanji... In our reimagining of the story of Jumanji, very few actors can balance cool with funny, and edge with childlike wonderment. As you know, Jack combines all these things, which makes the dude brilliant. Can't wait to get started."
"I think his family will be proud"
Johnson's used Instagram for more than just casting announcements in recent weeks. He posted about the reboot's behind-the-scenes action just a few days ago, using a lengthy caption to pay tribute to his co-producers, Jumanji author Chris van Allsburg, and the late Robin Williams (the original Jumanji's star). "The love and respect I have for this man is boundless," wrote Johnson. "You have my word, we will honor his name and the character of Alan Parrish will stand alone and be forever immortalized in the world of Jumanji in an earnest and cool way. I have an idea of what to do and I think his family will be proud." The movie still needs one actor and one actress to fill out its core quintet — if you're invested in the performers who get picked for those roles, you should probably keep an eye on Johnson's feed from here on out.