Published at: Feb. 22, 2000, 11:31 p.m. CST by staff
Hey folks, Harry here. Over at Hollywood Reporter they're reporting that Ken Ralston has left JUMANJI 2 as director.... (thank god)...
Why 'thank god'? Well, the script for the project was always reported as being fairly weak. What with an evil vice-president and a heroic jungle adventurer President and his team of animal friends... (rough version of the story)
But it was always one of those projects that as an outsider looking at it, seemed to be a project that Ralston was supposed to get through, in order to really direct a film he cared about... MYSTERIOUS ISLAND.
The folks I've talked to that have seen some of the prelim animation (CG that is) work on JUMANJI 2 said that it really was quite amazing work... and I'm sure it would be. BUT for me... it would always just be... JUMANJI 2, which is of course a project that doesn't inspire too much glee.
Moriarty and I had been hearing for the better part of a month and a half about all sorts of problems between Ralston and Sony. At one point there was speculation going on that Ralston was not only going to walk off of JUMANJI 2, but out of SONY IMAGEWORKS... and head right on over to Zemeckis' effects company. But for now... it seems that Ralston is staying with Imageworks... though I have to hope that SONY realizes that this is someone with whom they should simply hand over MYSTERIOUS ISLAND and let him make his 'Harryhausen film'. But then... That's just me blabbing again...
