Movie Description
Zathura: A Space Adventure (also known simply as Zathura) is a 2005 American science fiction adventure film directed by Jon Favreau and loosely based on the illustrated book Zathura by Chris Van Allsburg, author of Jumanji. The film stars Josh Hutcherson, Jonah Bobo, Dax Shepard, Kristen Stewart and Tim Robbins.
The story revolves around brothers Walter and Danny Budwing (portrayed by Hutcherson and Bobo respectively), who play a mysterious board game they find in the basement of their house. The game teleports Walter, Danny, and their older sister Lisa (Stewart) into outer space where they encounter an astronaut (Shepard), who mentors the siblings on survival and finishing the game so they can return home.
The film was shot in Los Angeles and Culver City, California, and was released on November 11, 2005 by Columbia Pictures. Unlike the book, the film contains no Jumanji material and mentions no Jumanji events. The film was marketed as a spiritual successor with variations of the tagline, "A new adventure from the world of Jumanji" and the second installment in the Jumanji franchise. Despite positive reviews from critics, the film was a box office flop.