# What children's movie is this that I'm thinking of. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [January 28, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373 "2017-01-28T05:49:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 5:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/1 "2017-01-28T05:49:11Z")
So, they’re making a Jumanji remake and I had never seen the original. I knew it was about a board game that came alive and that was it. I didn’t even know who starred in it. Just watched it and thought it was a fun movie. Would watch again. But it reminded me of another, more recent movie that I cannot remember the name of. It was on TV and it was about a game that came to life. Maybe Disney or Nickelodeon. It could have been 10 or even 20 years ago. But other than it was space and not jungle oriented, didn’t have any stars in it and was not as good, it had the same exact premise. Does anybody remember this? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/2 "2017-01-28T06:11:22Z")
[Zathura](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0406375/) ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 6:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/3 "2017-01-28T06:34:50Z")
That’s it! 10 minutes, is that a record? ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 7:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/4 "2017-01-28T07:19:11Z")
I doubt it. I’ve seen quicker responses to that kind of question. And it was only quick because I remember seeing ads for it and thinking it was ripping off Jumanji. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 7:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/5 "2017-01-28T07:24:53Z")
_Zathura_ is actually officially a sequel, it’s based on another book by the same author and is largely the same idea. The movie was directed by Jon Favreau (who has gone on to make not only popular movies like _Elf_, _Iron Man_, and _Jungle Book_, but also has some original movies of his own that are very popular - I particularly enjoyed _Chef_) but also starred Josh Hutcherson from _Hunger Games_, Kristin Stewart of _Twilight_, Dax Shepard, and Tim Robbins. It has quite the legacy, really. The new _Jumanji_ will also technically be a sequel, but seems will be mostly about the inside of the game’s world this time. ---
**Author:** ![Biggirl](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biggirl/32/3294_2.png) [@Biggirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biggirl)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 7:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/6 "2017-01-28T07:41:47Z")
That explains why the makers of Zathura didn’t get the pants sued off of them because it tells exactly the same story in almost exactly the same way. It came out in the movies? ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [January 28, 2017, 9:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-childrens-movie-is-this-that-im-thinking-of/778373/7 "2017-01-28T09:14:36Z")
I remember the movie. Like \* Jumanji,\* it was based on a book by Chris Van Allsburg, who also wrote _The Polar Express_