While the same film studio produced the adaptations of both books they elected to separate them completely on screen, which no narrative links between them. The resemblance to Jumanji (1995) is understandable, as the book which Favreau’s film adapts is the sequel to the book upon which Jumanji based. Before long they’re trapped in deep space, threatened by alien lizards and with only a mysterious astronaut to help them. When they start to play, however, the events of the game start to happen in the real world. When they’re left alone in the house one afternoon, they find an old board game named Zathura in the basement. Walter and Danny are young brothers who can’t get along. It’s a breezy family adventure of a style and scale you really do not see that often any more.

I do think Zathura deserves more attention than it got at the time. I do not think it is his best film – for me that remains his 2014 comedy-drama Chef, as both actor and director. I think there is a crossover point between the two Favreaus, and that is his 2005 science fiction film Zathura. As far as I am aware, he is the only Star Wars producer to also have undertaken a multi-episode guest starring arc on Friends.

These days he’s better known as the director of big-budget features like Iron Man and The Jungle Book He produces and writes Disney+ series based on Star Wars. I remember when he was an actor, with aspirations towards directing.

Zathura a space adventure book