Dwayne Johnson had the perfect game plan.
The Rock, 53, shared the sentimental way he paid tribute to the late Robin Williams on the set of the new “Jumanji 3” movie.
Johnson posted a clip to Instagram on Wednesday, telling fans he will be wearing an item from Williams’ original 1995 project in the next film.
“Little day one of ‘Jumanji’ excitement. That was cool,” the “Smashing Machine” actor began while in a golf cart on the Universal lot. “As you see, a little easter egg for Dr. Bravestone. This is the dice from the original Jumanji with Robin Williams, as a show of respect.”
Johnson pointed to his dice necklace.
“And a way of honoring Robin and this entire franchise that he started as we film our very last ‘Jumanji.’ Big finale. Here we go, let’s shoot!” he continued.
Johnson also took a moment to gush over filming in the City of Angels.
“It’s so good to be shooting in Los Angeles,” the “Moana” star went on.
“I have not shot a film in Los Angeles in — I don’t know when — so, it feels so good to bring a production back home to Los Angeles and have our hardworking crew sleep in their own bed every night. And especially, just a big, fun movie like ‘Jumanji.’”
Fans flocked to the comments section to praise Johnson for the sweet memento.
“This is so cool,” one follower penned.
A second chimed in, “Such a dope tribute. I love the Jumanji movies.”
Rounding out the heartfelt responses, another social media user said, “The Rock respect button.”
Williams, who died at age 63 in 2014 by suicide, starred as Alan Parrish, a man stuck inside a board game in the original “Jumanji,” alongside Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce and Bonnie Hunt.
Johnson first came aboard the franchise in 2017 for “Jumanji: Welcome to the Jungle.”
“Jumanji: The Next Level” debuted two years later in 2019 featuring Karen Gillan and comedy legends Kevin Hart and Jack Black.
In June, Keene, New Hampshire, the city where “Jumanji” filmed multiple scenes, celebrated the 30-year anniversary of the iconic flick.
Madeline Murphy, an extra on the film, recounted the instructions she was given while on set in November 1994: “Pretend you’re frightened and you’re screaming because an elephant’s coming after you.”
“I was pretty tired by the end of the day, and it was cold,” the 61-year-old continued.
Murphy was paid $60.47 for her role.
Meanwhile, in 2020, Pierce, 43, opened up about how Williams stood up for him and Dunst, 43, who were just kids at the time.
The game unleashed a monsoon, and the water in the movie was hindering his makeup.
“I couldn’t breathe through my nose,” Pierce recalled to CBCListen, adding that the shoot lasted eight days.
He describing filming as “really draining for everybody,” noting it especially left him and Dunst “tired.”
The producers tried to make the kids work overtime.
“Children can only be on set for a number of hours,” Pierce recounted. “The producers had approached our parents and said, ‘Is there any way we can do a bit of overtime to get it done.’”
“That’s not uncommon at all in the industry because it literally saves $100,000 plus to do that extra half hour rather than a whole day,” the actor explained.
However, when Williams “caught wind of these conversations,” he “pulled the director [Joe Johnston] and producers aside.”
“He said, ‘No, we are not doing any extra time. You’re going to let everybody out now and we’re going to come back next week,’” Pierce recalled. “For all the dollars that would have cost, nobody would have stood up the way he did. In addition to being warm, generous and kind, he was also very protective.”
[Notigroup Newsroom in collaboration with other media outlets, with information from the following sources]
