History Trivia / Jumanji

* InMemoriam: The film was dedicated to visual effects supervisor Stephen L. Price, who died before the film's release.

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!!The Cartoon
* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/TimCurry auditioned for Van Pelt before being cast as Trader Slick.
* CrossdressingVoices: Creator/AshleyJohnson voiced Peter.
* TheMerch: Parker Brothers released a handheld electronic game.
* TheOtherDarrin: It goes without saying none of the actors from the movie reprise their roles for the show.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen: Trader Slick was intended to have a WesternAnimation/BugsBunny like New York accent.

* {{Defictionalization}}: A ''Jumanji'' board game was released when the movie came out. It shared many elements with the game in the movie, aside from the supernatural elements, like the automatically moving pieces or sucking in players...we think. It also used cards, not even attempting to copy the magic-8 ball style interface. It came full-circle again when ''Film/{{Zathura}}'' came out, which used cards. Returned to shelves in 2017, when Cardinal Games picked up the license from Hasbro.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: To the point where it was {{lampshaded}} in [[Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle the sequel]]. The idea of a cursed board game causing havoc to those who play it dates the film to before video games fully displaced board games as the group "play" activity of choice among kids, a point raised in the prologue to the sequel when Alex decides to pass on playing it in favor of his video games -- causing the board game to transform into a video game cartridge instead.

* TechnologyMarchesOn: Referenced when they start playing the game in 1969, with Sarah remarking that the self-moving pieces must be done with magnets. When the kids continue the game in 1995, Judy suggests it's done with microchips, which actually makes ''less'' sense. Plus, Carl proudly showing off his prototype for a modern basketball shoe.

** Robin Williams noted the parallels of Alan and his father's relationship to his own father's with his grandfather.
* ShownTheirWork:
** Alan advising everyone to get to higher ground when the monsoon hits. In a jungle, dense rainfall and heavy humidity can rot human flesh very quickly, so this is pretty apt advice.
** It was indeed a crocodile that Alan wrestled for Sarah, not an alligator.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece:
** To the point where it was {{lampshaded}} in [[Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle the sequel]]. The idea of a cursed board game causing havoc to those who play it dates the film to before video games fully displaced board games as the group "play" activity of choice among kids, a point raised in the prologue to the sequel when Alex decides to pass on playing it in favor of his video games -- causing the board game to transform into a video game cartridge instead.

* FakeAmerican: Australian-born Jonathan Hyde plays Sam Parrish and Van Pelt. He uses a slightly American-sounding voice as Sam, but gives Van Pelt [[EvilBrit an English accent]].

*** Creator/MichaelKeaton, Creator/BryanCranston, Creator/DanAykroyd, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/HarrisonFord, Creator/MelGibson, Creator/BillPaxton, and Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger were also considered for the role of Alan Parrish before the casting of Williams.

** It was indeed a crocodile that Alan wrestled for Sarah.

* ActingForTwo: Creator/JonathanHyde plays both Alan's father and Van Pelt. A common theory is that Jumanji conjures up Van Pelt by taking the form of the person you had dreaded the most, and for Alan, it's his father--especially since Van Pelt spouts out the same criticism as his father. It also serves as a ShoutOut to stagings of ''Literature/PeterPan'', where Mr. Darling and Captain Hook are always the same actor.
** Oh, should we also mention that Robin Williams also played [[Film/{{Hook}} Peter Pan himself?]]

** Sarah tries to use an out-of-service Bank of New Hampshire ATM at one point. The Bank of New Hampshire depicted in the film merged with several other Northeastern U.S. regional banks in 2001 to become Banknorth (although the name was still used), before Canadian banking corporation Toronto-Dominion Bank bought the majority of Banknorth's shares and rebranded the banks to TD Banknorth. After a merger with New Jersey-based Commerce Bank in 2008, TD Banknorth became TD Bank, N.A., with all branches rebranded to the TD Bank name. A different New Hampshirite banking company named Laconia Savings Bank decided to claim and rebrand themselves under the "Bank of New Hampshire" name in 2012. So thus, the Bank of New Hampshire of today is not the same one that's in ''Jumanji''.

** Creator/TomHanks was the first choice to play Alan Parrish. Creator/DanAykroyd, Creator/ChevyChase, Creator/SeanConnery, Creator/KevinCostner, Creator/RichardDreyfuss, Creator/MichaelDouglas, Creator/RupertEverett, Creator/HarrisonFord, Andy Garcia, Creator/RichardGere, Creator/MelGibson, Creator/MichaelKeaton, Creator/KevinKline, Creator/BillMurray, Creator/BillPaxton, Creator/ArnoldSchwarzenegger and Creator/JohnTravolta were also considered.
** Creator/ScarlettJohansson auditioned for Judy Shepherd.

* CastTheRunnerUp: Creator/TimCurry auditioned for Van Pelt before being cast as Trader Slick.

* TrollingCreator: Creator/RobinWilliams would often give fake answers to people who asked him what the title meant. "I tell them it's an island in the Caribbean. Book your travel there early".

* SequelGap: [[Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle A stand-alone sequel]] was released 22 years after the original.

* UnintentionalPeriodPiece: To the point where it was {{lampshaded}} in [[Film/JumanjiWelcomeToTheJungle the sequel]]. The idea of a cursed board game causing havoc to those who play it dates the film to before video games fully displaced board games as the group "play" activity of choice among kids, a point raised in the prologue to the sequel when Alex decides to pass on playing it in favor of his video games -- causing the board game to transform into a video game cartridge instead.
* WhatCouldHaveBeen:

* ActingForTwo: Creator/JonathanHyde plays both Alan's father and Van Pelt. A common theory is that Jumanji conjures up Van Pelt by taking the form of the person you had dreaded the most, and for Alan, it's his father--especially since Van Pelt spouts out the same criticism as his father.

* ActorAllusion:
** Creator/JonathanHyde playing both Van Pelt and Alan's father could be one to Creator/RobinWilliams' role as Peter Pan in ''Film/{{Hook}}'', as most theatrical productions of ''Theatre/PeterPan'' have Wendy's father and Hook played by the same person.
** This isn't the first time Bradley Pierce [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast has played a character who underwent a]] BalefulPolymorph [[Disney/BeautyAndTheBeast as a punishment for unruly actions.]]

* TypeCasting: Creator/KirstenDunst and Bradley Pierce played siblings in ''The Siege at Ruby Ridge'' a year later too.

* ActorAllusion: Aunt Nora in the movie is a pretty normal woman, played by Bebe Neuwirth. In the cartoon, she's basically [[Series/{{Cheers}} Lilith]] [[Series/{{Frasier}} Sternin]], in attitude and appearance.

* WhatCouldHaveBeen:
** Creator/TimCurry auditioned for Van Pelt before being cast as Trader Slick.
** Trader Slick was intended to have a WesternAnimation/BugsBunny like New York accent.

* ActorAllusion: Creator/JonathanHyde playing both Van Pelt and Alan's father could be one to Creator/RobinWilliams' role as Peter Pan in ''Film/{{Hook}}'', as most theatrical productions of ''Theatre/PeterPan'' have Wendy's father and Hook played by the same person.

* PlayingGertrude: Robin Williams was ten years older than Bonnie Hunt, and they play characters who are the same age and went to school together. David Alan Grier meanwhile is four years ''younger'' than Robin, even though Carl was an adult when Alan was a child.

* {{Defictionalization}}: A ''Jumanji'' board game was released when the movie came out. It shared many elements with the game in the movie, aside from the supernatural elements, like the automatically moving pieces or sucking in players...we think. It also used cards, not even attempting to copy the magic-8 ball style interface. It came full-circle again when ''Film/{{Zathura}}'' came out, which used cards.
** SugarWiki/AndTheFandomRejoiced: In 2017, Cardinal Games picked up the license from Hasbro, and the long out-of-print game returned to shelves.

** AndTheFandomRejoiced: In 2017, Cardinal Games picked up the license from Hasbro, and the long out-of-print game returned to shelves.