Entertainment
Netflix Just Added The Iconic Robin Williams Fantasy That Launched A Franchise
By Zack Zagranis
| Published
Most people play games to escape, unless that game is Jumanji. Then they play to escape the game itself. That was the case for Robin Williams in the 1995 family classic Jumanji, which is newly available to stream on Netflix.
Jumanji is a family adventure film from smack dab in the middle of the ’90s, with all the janky CGI that entails. The movie was based on a 1981 children’s book of the same name about a jungle-themed board game that comes to life as you play it. The film version stars Robin Williams as Alan Parrish, a young boy who goes missing in 1969 after playing a board game called Jumanji with his friend Sarah Whittle, played by Bonnie Hunt.
Welcome To The Jungle
Alan gets trapped inside the game after a turn that instructs him to wait in the jungle until someone else rolls a five or an eight. Sarah understandably freaks out and runs from the house, leaving Alan stuck inside Jumanji.
Twenty-six years later, two new children, Judy (a young Kirsten Dunst) and her brother Peter, discover Jumanji and, upon rolling a five, release a grown-up Alan in the form of Robin Williams from the game. Unfortunately, he’s not alone.
Among the other jungle perils unleashed upon the small town of Brantford, New Hampshire, are killer vines, giant mosquitoes, a gaggle of mischievous monkeys, and a colonial-Africa-style big-game hunter complete with a pith helmet and a long gun. Now it’s up to the kids, the now-grown Robin Williams version of Alan and Sarah, to finish the game that was started in 1969 if they can survive long enough.
The Origins Of Jumanji
TriStar Pictures agreed to finance the film, but only if they could get Robin Williams to play the lead character, Alan Parrish, as an adult. Unfortunately, Williams initially passed on Jumanji based on the draft of the script he was given to read.
It wasn’t until Honey, I Shrunk the Kids director Joe Johnston reworked the story with screenwriters Greg Taylor, Jonathan Hensleigh, and Jim Strain that Robin Williams agreed to do the film. Ironically, despite being instrumental in Williams’s acceptance of the role, director Joe Johnston originally didn’t want Robin because of his reputation for heavy on-set improvising.
Luckily, Robin Williams understood the assignment and stuck to the script except for a handful of times when he was allowed to improvise a few lines with actress Bonnie Hunt. Even then, it was only after the director had already gotten a take where the actor performed his lines as scripted.
Jumanji Was Supposed To Star Tom Hanks And Madonna
Johnston’s first choice to play Alan Parrish was actor Tom Hanks. Hanks, however, was unavailable due to his commitment to Apollo 13.
Other actors considered for the role include Dan Aykroyd, Michael Keaton, Chevy Chase, Sean Penn, Kevin Costner, Richard Dreyfuss, Michael Douglas, Rupert Everett, Harrison Ford, Sean Connery, and even Arnold Schwarzenegger.
Robin Williams wasn’t the only actor who wasn’t Johnston’s first choice. Prior to Bonnie Hunt, the director considered several actresses for the role of Sarah, such as Jodie Foster, Demi Moore, Michelle Pfeiffer, and even Madonna. Meanwhile, Scarlett Johansson was in the running to play Judy at one point before the filmmaker decided on Kirsten Dunst.
Early CGI And Shot On Location
The movie was mainly shot in Keene, New Hampshire, which stood in for Jumanji‘s fictional town of Brantford. Other locations included North Berwick Main, where the Olde Woolen Mill was used for the shoe factory owned by Robin Williams’ father in the movie.
The movie was one of the first to rely heavily on CGI for many of its special-effects shots. George Lucas’s special effects company Industrial Light & Magic even wrote all-new software specifically for use in Jumanji.
Due to CGI still being in its infancy, many of the digital effects were bolstered by more traditional practical means such as puppetry and animatronics. The effects may look laughable by modern standards, but they were mind-blowing to audiences in 1995, and, if we’re being honest, still retain a certain charm today.
Audience And Critical Reception
Jumanji was released on December 15, 1995, and immediately overtook Toy Story to become the #1 movie at the North American box office on its opening weekend. The movie went on to gross $262.8 million worldwide on a $65 million budget, making it a financial success.
The film received mixed reviews from critics, who praised Robin Williams’ performance but thought it overall relied too much on special effects and too little on the story. Audiences, on the other hand, almost unanimously loved the movie.
Jumanji spawned a real-life board game, an animated series, a quasi-sequel in 2005’s Zathura: A Space Adventure, and a couple of more direct sequels, Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle in 2017 and Jumanji: The Next Level in 2019.
Jumanji is remembered today quite fondly, especially by ’90s kids. Whether you’re an Xennial or Millennial looking for a quick hit of nostalgia, or someone younger looking to check out a movie full of retro visuals and a legendary performance by Robin Williams, you owe it to yourself to check out Jumanji while it’s on Netflix.
Entertainment
Beats Solo 4 are $88 open box — and the 50-hour battery is no joke
TL;DR: Elevate your commutes and workouts with the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones, on sale now for $87.97 (reg. $199.99) through May 31.
$87.97
$199.99
Save $112.02
If you don’t just listen to playlists but live in them, the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones are for you. These re-engineered headphones deliver premium sound with an expansive sound range and an impressive 50-hour battery, so you don’t have to miss a beat.
Right now, you can score a pair of these premium headphones for just $87.97 through May 31.
Mashable Deals
Music lovers know that a basic pair of headphones won’t cut it. The Beats Solo 4 deliver audio brilliance, extraordinary clarity, and an expansive sound range thanks to custom-built 40-mm transducers, all worthy of your excellent taste in music.
Personalized Spatial Audio lets you immerse yourself in the tunes, while dynamic head tracking and built-in gyroscopes surround you with sound, giving you the effect of being surrounded by 64 speakers at once, whether you’re in line at the grocery store or on your morning commute.
A built-in Digital-to-Analog Converter also provides high-resolution lossless audio, and if you want more texture, you can connect via a USB-C cable or a 3.5mm audio cable.
Enjoy an impressive 50 hours of battery life and Bluetooth 5.3, which offers extended range and fewer dropouts.
Aside from offering premium sound, the Beats Solo 4 also provide a premium wearing experience that keeps up with that battery life. They’re ultralight, weighing just 217 grams, and the UltraPlush ear cushions and ergonomic design offer unparalleled comfort and fit.
Mashable Deals
You’re saving big on these headphones because they’re open-box. That means they were likely excess inventory from store shelves, but have undergone a verification process to ensure they’re still in new condition and are placed in clean packaging.
Score the Beats Solo 4 On-Ear Headphones for $87.97 now through May 31.
StackSocial prices subject to change.
Entertainment
NYT Connections hints today: Clues, answers for May 30, 2026
The NYT Connections puzzle today is not too difficult if you have a good head on your shoulders.
Connections is the one of the most popular New York Times word games that’s captured the public’s attention. The game is all about finding the “common threads between words.” And just like Wordle, Connections resets after midnight and each new set of words gets trickier and trickier—so we’ve served up some hints and tips to get you over the hurdle.
If you just want to be told today’s puzzle, you can jump to the end of this article for today’s Connections solution. But if you’d rather solve it yourself, keep reading for some clues, tips, and strategies to assist you.
What is Connections?
The NYT‘s latest daily word game has become a social media hit. The Times credits associate puzzle editor Wyna Liu with helping to create the new word game and bringing it to the publications’ Games section. Connections can be played on both web browsers and mobile devices and require players to group four words that share something in common.
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Each puzzle features 16 words and each grouping of words is split into four categories. These sets could comprise of anything from book titles, software, country names, etc. Even though multiple words will seem like they fit together, there’s only one correct answer.
If a player gets all four words in a set correct, those words are removed from the board. Guess wrong and it counts as a mistake—players get up to four mistakes until the game ends.
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Players can also rearrange and shuffle the board to make spotting connections easier. Additionally, each group is color-coded with yellow being the easiest, followed by green, blue, and purple. Like Wordle, you can share the results with your friends on social media.
Mashable Top Stories
Here’s a hint for today’s Connections categories
Want a hint about the categories without being told the categories? Then give these a try:
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Yellow: Not happening
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Green: Reasonable
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Blue: Keyboard symbols
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Purple: Famous tunes
Here are today’s Connections categories
Need a little extra help? Today’s connections fall into the following categories:
Looking for Wordle today? Here’s the answer to today’s Wordle.
Ready for the answers? This is your last chance to turn back and solve today’s puzzle before we reveal the solutions.
Drumroll, please!
The solution to today’s Connections #1084 is…
What is the answer to Connections today
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“In your dreams”: IMPOSSIBLE, NEVER, NO WAY, SORRY
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Sensible: CLEAR, LUCID, RIGHT, SOUND
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Typographical symbols: BRACE, CARET, PIPE, TILDE
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Song of the Year nominees at the first Grammy Awards: FEVER, GIGI, VOLARE, WITCHCRAFT
Don’t feel down if you didn’t manage to guess it this time. There will be new Connections for you to stretch your brain with tomorrow, and we’ll be back again to guide you with more helpful hints.
Are you also playing NYT Strands? Get all the Strands hints you need for today’s puzzle.
If you’re looking for more puzzles, Mashable’s got games now! Check out our games hub for Mahjong, Sudoku, free crossword, and more.
Not the day you’re after? Here’s the solution to yesterday’s Connections.
Entertainment
Vin Diesel's Perfect, R-Rated Sci-Fi Thriller Is Finally Coming To Netflix
By Jonathan Klotz
| Published
Before The Fast and the Furious, before The Last Witch Hunter, Vin Diesel was able to create a franchise out of a low-budget sci-fi horror film with barely any plot, through sheer force of personality. His deep voice, ability to show no emotion, and action star physique helped turn his role as Riddick into a star-making performance. The 2000 sci-fi horror Pitch Black is coming to Netflix on June 1, and there’s never a bad time to remind yourself why Vin Diesel became a superstar.
Riddick Is Vin Diesel’s Best Character
No one thought Pitch Black would launch a franchise when it debuted in February 2000, the dumping ground for Hollywood studios, but that’s what happened. Diesel’s Riddick makes his first appearance as a prisoner onboard a doomed shuttle crash landing on a planet about to experience a total eclipse for the first time in 22 years. That’s relevant for two convenient reasons: one, the massive horde of flying predators destroyed by sunlight, and two, Riddick had a prison doctor operate on his eyes giving him “shine,” and now he can see in the dark. Relying on a wanted criminal and known killer for salvation are the various miners (including Farscape’s Claudia Black), pilgrims, and tourists also onboard the shuttle. It’s a very simple plot but it works.
The simplicity plays to Vin Diesel’s strengths as an actor, namely, his physical presence or as the kids say, aura farming, and not his emoting. Ironically, showing the taciturn Riddick fighting against the feelings of compassion and kindness is Diesel’s best acting work. He turns the one-note tough guy character into a star-making performance with a few grunts and a single kind gesture.
Keep It Simple Stupid
Simple doesn’t always mean bad. Pitch Black wisely uses the darkness to obscure the deadly nocturnal predators as much as possible in both a budget saving move, and one that means the tension cranks up without anything actually happening on screen. Audiences loved it, earning the film over $50 million during its theatrical run before becoming a best-selling DVD release. It did so well, director and writer David Twohy reunited with Diesel for the sequel, The Chronicles of Riddick, which ditched the survival horror elements of the original film and replaced them with deep lore, dozens of characters, multiple deep space factions, and Dame Judi Dench as an Air Elemental.
The third film in the franchise, Riddick, went back to the simple survival story of Pitch Black, and again, it was a hit, reinforcing that Diesel works best in small scale films. You might be thinking, The Fast and The Furious isn’t small scale, but think back, and the entire plot centered on stealing VCRs. That’s grounded and realistic compared to what came next. Fans of Diesel’s sci-fi franchise can only hope that the upcoming fourth film, Furya, is more Pitch Black and less Chronicles of Riddick.
All three of the Riddick films are now available on Netflix. If you haven’t watched Pitch Black in decades, it’s a great time to give it a rewatch. In retrospect, the tight plot and single setting is quaint. In a good way. There was a time when an original sci-fi film with no star power behind it could go wide in theaters, earn millions of dollars, and create a new fanbase out of thin air.
Starting on June 1, you can catch Pitch Black on Netflix.
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Beats Solo 4 are $88 open box — and the 50-hour battery is no joke
