Dwayne Johnson, Kevin Hart and Karen Gillan put on their thermals for exclusive new Jumanji: The Next Level images

Jumanji: Welcome To The Jungle may have been an underdog at the box-office (competing against Star Wars: The Last Jedi), yet the remarkable sequel/reboot managed to impress audiences and critics alike, grossing $962 million. No pressure, then, on the forthcoming sequel, Jumanji: The Next Level.

"The high level of expectation and pressure… that is a blessing that I’m happy to accept," Dwayne Johnson tells our sister publication Total Film magazine for the new cover feature. Above and below, find exclusive images from The Next Level, featuring the main cast freezing in the cold – a new setting for the series.

“We went to the highest mountaintops in Calgary, Alberta in Canada where it was freezing, and snow was everywhere,” says Johnson. “We dealt with hailstorms and windstorms, but it makes for a spectacular movie. And then we went to the middle of the desert. We were in the sand dunes. And then we went back to the jungles.”

Johnson also promises that “The action is bigger, the action is more intense“, and that they have "set up multiple Jumanji universes.” The actor previously known as The Rock returns to the franchise along with Jack Black, Karen Gillan, and Kevin Hart. New faces include Danny DeVito and Danny Glover.

The cast spoke at length with Total Film magazine about the movie for the latest issue's cover feature. The new issue reaches store shelves on October 18. Meanwhile, Jumanji: The Next Level reaches cinemas December 13.

If you’re a fan of Total Film, why not subscribe so that you never miss an issue, and you’ll get exclusive subscriber-only covers, like the one below, delivered directly to your doormat before the magazine hits shelves? What are you waiting for?

We’re currently running a subscription offer where you can subscribe from as little as £12.25 every three months, and you’ll also get five blockbuster movies to run from Rakuten TV (which you can watch on any supported device including Smart TVs, consoles, tablets, smartphones and more). Head to My Favourite Magazines now to take advantage of the offer. (Ts and Cs apply).

Jack Shepherd is the former Senior Entertainment Editor of GamesRadar. Jack used to work at The Independent as a general culture writer before specializing in TV and film for the likes of GR+, Total Film, SFX, and others. You can now find Jack working as a freelance journalist and editor.