The movie is a sequel to Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle and sees Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart, Jack Black, Karen Gillan and Nick Jonas return for a second run.

After opening to positive reviews, Jumanji: The Next Level took $60.1 million for its US box office opening (via Variety), knocking Frozen 2 from the top spot after a three-week reign and setting a new record in the process.

It's now become the highest US debut for any comedy movie in December.

Speaking recently to Digital Spy, director Jake Kasdan opened up about that body-swapping twist this time around, which sees Johnson imitate Danny DeVito's new character, and Hart channel Danny Glover.

"For me, the idea that really got me excited about making a sequel was this thought of bringing in these two guys that are at a completely different point in their lives," he said. "And putting them on an adventure, like a Jumanji adventure.

"And suddenly that started to get really exciting, the thought of bringing in these two characters, and having DJ and Kevin playing that opposite each other. It felt like a big, exciting idea."

Kasdan also revealed how he wanted to avoid critical issues with the sequel.

Judging by the record-breaking figures, we think Jumanji: The Next Level is going down just fine.

(via www.digitalspy.com)