Jack Black Has a Cheeky Answer to ‘Dunesday’: Get Ready for ‘Doomanji’
The holiday box office is shaping up to be one of the most crowded stretches in years, and Jack Black wants ‘Jumanji: Open World’ in the conversation. The final adventure in the franchise reunites Black with Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan, and it lands right in the middle of a blockbuster-heavy season.
For months, much of the buzz has centered on “Dunesday”, the nickname for the December 18 clash between Marvel’s ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and Warner Bros.’ ‘Dune: Part Three’. Looper has framed the event as a potential follow-up to “Barbenheimer”, though it noted the 2 films offer similar action escapism rather than the sharp contrast that made ‘Barbie’ and ‘Oppenheimer’ work as a pair.
Now Black is pushing a different nickname. In a short clip shared on Instagram and highlighted by The Hollywood Handle, he responded to a fan comment and joked that there’s no ‘Dunesday’ and that it’s going to be ‘Doomanji’ instead.
The playful jab puts ‘Jumanji’ front and center in the holiday race. The fan comment visible in the clip joked that there was no way audiences would get ‘Doomanji’, and Black wasted no time leaning into it.
The joke has some history behind it. ‘Jumanji: Open World’ was originally set for December 11, but Sony moved it to Christmas Day after ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ and ‘Dune: Part Three’ held on to their December 18 dates.
Jack Black says there’s no ‘Dunesday’. “It’s gonna be ‘Doomanji.’” https://t.co/xpgsUydtRe
— The Hollywood Handle (@HollywoodHandle) November 5, 2026
According to ComicBook.com, citing Variety, exhibitors worried about the film’s prospects in its original slot. Theaters were expected to book heavily for the 2 Dunesday films, which could have squeezed ‘Jumanji’ after its opening weekend.
Sony is apparently betting the film will perform better once the initial Dunesday hype cools down. ‘Jumanji: Open World’ will now open just one week after the Marvel and ‘Dune’ showdown.
Our world. New rules. One final game. Watch the new trailer for #Jumanji: Open World – exclusively in theatres this Christmas. https://t.co/fI0UAAlgqE
— Jumanji Movie (@jumanjimovie) October 28, 2026
Jake Kasdan returns to direct and co-wrote the screenplay with Jeff Pinkner and Scott Rosenberg. Principal photography began in Los Angeles in November 2025 and wrapped on March 30.
This time, the game’s creatures escape into the real world, and the animal kingdom runs wild. Alex Wolff’s Spencer once again has to rely on his video game skills as a new group of characters gets pulled into the game.
New trailer for ‘Avengers: Doomsday’ In theaters December 18 https://t.co/1wsiTk1Nnv
— Culture Crave 🍿 (@CultureCrave) August 15, 2026
The new trailer also teases plenty of body-swapping chaos. Spencer’s mother, Nora, takes on Dr. Bravestone; a young boy named Tyson ends up as Mouse Finbar, and Donatas, a chef at Nora’s diner, lands in Shelly Oberon’s body.
Alongside Johnson, Black, Hart and Gillan, the cast includes Nick Jonas, Awkwafina, Morgan Turner, Ser’Darius Blain and Madison Iseman. Danny DeVito, Rhys Darby, Bebe Neuwirth and Lamorne Morris are also part of the ensemble, with Brittany O’Grady, Burn Gorman and Nasim Pedrad joining as well.
The final trailer for ‘DUNE: PART 3’ has been released. In theaters on December 18. https://t.co/2n2wWqvDPt
— DiscussingFilm (@DiscussingFilm) October 27, 2026
The film also nods to the franchise’s roots. MovieWeb notes that Bravestone wears a braided necklace featuring the original dice Robin Williams used in the 1995 film. ‘Jumanji’ won’t have Christmas Day to itself.
ComicBook.com noted that Robert Eggers’ ‘Werwulf’ and a biopic starring David Corenswet are also set for the holiday. Still, with Black already selling ‘Doomanji’ online, the franchise is clearly ready to fight for attention in a packed holiday season.
Which holiday blockbuster are you most excited to see?
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