You may have noticed that Dwayne Johnson and the late, great Robin Williams don't look too similar. For starters, they’ve got different hair.

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So news that Johnson was slated to front the Jumanji film of 2017 caused major concerns that The Rock might be re-booting Williams’ much-loved performance as Alan Parrish in the fantasy about a magical jungle board game.

Well, keep your wigs on Jumanji fans (sorry, Dwayne), because Johnson himself has confirmed that the new movie, also starring Jack Black and Kevin Hart, is not a re-boot but "a continuation" of the original story.

Writing on Instagram, Johnson said: “In two weeks I'll reunite with ol' friends Kevin Hart & Jack Black and we have the honor to introduce a whole new generation to the amazing world of #JUMANJI. *(for the record we are NOT making a reboot, but rather a continuation of the awesome JUMANJI story)”

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You may remember that the last we saw of board game in the first film, it had washed up on a beach in France and been found by two little girls. Which means the real question is not whether The Rock is Alan Parrish, but which of those little girls will he be playing...?

Authors

Thomas LingDigital editor, BBC Science Focus

Thomas is Digital editor at BBC Science Focus. Writing about everything from cosmology to anthropology, he specialises in the latest psychology, health and neuroscience discoveries. Thomas has a Masters degree (distinction) in Magazine Journalism from the University of Sheffield and has written for Men’s Health, Vice and Radio Times. He has been shortlisted as the New Digital Talent of the Year at the national magazine Professional Publishers Association (PPA) awards. Also working in academia, Thomas has lectured on the topic of journalism to undergraduate and postgraduate students at The University of Sheffield.

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