Shuvrajit Das Biswas
‘Jumanji: The Next Level‘ is the third film in the ‘Jumanji‘ franchise, following the 1995 movie, and 2017’s ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’. The successful reboot in 2017 saw the board game being modernized to a video game for the current day and age. However, the sense of adventure and danger remains the same. Now, in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, the adventures are about to continue, whether the players want it to or not.
When Spencer gets sucked into the world of Jumanji inadvertently, his friends rush to his rescue. However, Spencer’s grandfather as well as his old friend, are caught up in the mix this time. They have to survive the dangers of Jumanji, rescue Spencer and escape the game once and for all.
The new movie has used several different locations including snow-capped hills, arid deserts, and the usual jungles. With such vast landscapes of greenery and various terrains being portrayed in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, you might be wondering about where the movie has been actually filmed. We have you covered in that regard.
Jumanji: The Next Level Filming Locations:
‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ has taken the crew and cast members to a series of exciting locations including Atlanta, New Mexico, Calgary, Fortress Mountain Resort, California and Hawaii. According to reports, Calgary in Alberta has provided the snow-capped peaks required for filming. Hawaii is special to Dwayne Johnson in its own way, since he hails from the place. Several locations in Hawaii can be seen in the new movie, and film buffs might recognize the places from other popular movies as well. California’s sand dunes can also be seen in the new movie.
Newnan and Atlanta in Georgia have seen a fair share of shooting for ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ as well, as does Georgia State University. The crew and cast have also filmed in Shiprock in New Mexico. Apart from the filming locations, the studio work has taken place at Atlanta’s Blackhall Studios.
Now that you are familiar with the list of locations where the shooting has taken place, let us go into more details about the filming locations where ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ has been shot.
Hawaii:
If the lush green jungles, and imposing hills and the sprawling landscape in ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ remind you of Hawaii, then you are absolutely correct. In fact, ‘Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle’ has been filmed in Hawaii as well. From what we know, filming for the new movie went on in Oahu island, with crews setting up in the jungle, near the falls of Waimea Valley. This is the same location used in the 2017 reboot. The parking lot of Kalaeloa Airport has been used by crews to shoot the reactions for the dune chase.
As per reports, the Kualoa Ranch in Oahu island is a hidden gem, since the 4,000 acres of land has also been the home to several other notable films and television shows including ‘Jurassic Park‘ and ‘Lost‘.
Kananaskis and Calgary, Alberta:
The cast members and crew needed to show snowy tundras for the new ‘Jumanji’ movie. This took them to Calgary, in Alberta. They shot in the neighboring mountains. According to reports from cast members, including Jack Black, it was very cold, and the filming crews had to cope with weather conditions like hailstorms and windstorms. However, both Black and fellow castmember Karen Gillan have stated that shooting in real locations instead of going the CGI-way, makes for a more authentic experience, increasing the film’s impact.
Kananaskis, which is located west of Calgary, is a park system that includes the Fortress Mountain Resort where the new ‘Jumanji’ movie has been shot. The stronghold nestled in the rock is a favorite among many filmmakers since movies like ‘The Revenant‘ were filmed here. Gillan also expressed excitement that ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ included shooting atop a glacier, because it is not something the actress had previously done.
Newnan and Atlanta, Georgia:
‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ has made good use of the various cities and towns of Georgia to shoot several scenes in the movie. Apart from Atlanta’s Georgia State University, Newnan is one of the towns where the movie’s shooting has taken place.
Local reports suggest that the streets of Newnan were transformed for the winter shoots with the help of a snow machine. A part of the movie has been shot in and around Newnan Square, including 19 W. Court Square, 8 East Washington St. Crews were also spotted in Midtown and Ansley Park.
There have been scenes with camels, which have been shot at the Lithonia rock quarry in Georgia.
Shiprock and Farmington, New Mexico:
Taking advantage of the new film incentives law, a portion of ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ has been shot at Shiprock in the Navajo Nation. The crews wanted to capture the open spaces and stunning natural scenery. Jonathan Nez, the Navajo Nation President, spoke about the filming, saying, “First of all, we extend our welcome and appreciation to the Jumanji production team and cast for filming on the Navajo Nation. This partnership with Sony Pictures allowed the Navajo Nation to internationally display its beautiful landscape and unique culture on a major-produced film. It also allowed the Navajo Nation to look forward to many more production opportunities.”
Local reports also suggest that scenes were filmed in Farmington and the Four Corners Area.
Algodones Dunes, California:
The Algodones Dunes or the Glamis Imperial Sand Dunes is a recreational area in the California desert that has been used in the new ‘Jumanji’ movie. The crew took over the Osborne Lookout, building a set with rotting and scattered vehicles under the scorching sun. Notably, the location can also be seen in ‘Star Wars: Return of the Jedi‘.
Zhangjiajie, China:
Although not a filming location, technically, the stone pillars, where the group is chased by hundreds of monkeys, happens to be inspired by the Zhangjiajie National Forest Park located in the Hunan Province. In ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’, the entire sequence has been shot using green screens and CGI.
In conclusion, ‘Jumanji: The Next Level’ has tried to film in real-life locations to maintain the impact and authenticity of the movie, and has compounded it with the use of CGI, to give us an immersive experience into the magical and dangerous world of Jumanji.
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