Today most recognizable as Happy Hogan throughout the MCU, or behind the camera as the creator of The Mandalorian, Favreau’s first big project as director was the Will Ferrell comedy Elf. Two years after that Christmas hit, Favreau took over directing a children’s book adaptation with some enormous pedigree behind it.
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Zathura: A Space Adventure came to the big screen in 2005, based on a novel released three years earlier. The novel, simply titled Zathura, was written by iconic children’s novelist and illustrator Chris Van Allsburg. As every viewer noticed, the novel and film were set as a spiritual successor to Allsburg’s earlier hit Jumanji. Much like that beloved work, Zathura is the tale of a family falling prey to a mysteriously powerful board game capable of transporting them to dangerous and fantastic places. This time, instead of the terrestrial horrors of Earth’s jungles, the game transports its players into the unforgiving void of deep space. Much like Jumanji, there’s plenty of family-friendly horror content throughout the misadventure. This evidently omnipotent board game falls at the feet of a handful of fun new characters.
Zathura is the tale of brothers Walter and Danny Budwing, watched over by their older sister Lisa. Walter, the eldest brother, is rude and dismissive towards his younger sibling. He is clearly reaching towards maturity against the influence of the younger boy. Danny feels alone and struggles constantly to get his beloved brother’s approval, while their elder sister ignores them both. When Danny finds the sci-f i-themed board game in the basement, strange things immediately start to occur.
The boys swiftly discover that their home is now adrift in space and that the only way to fix everything is to win the game fairly. Lisa is dragged into the action, then the game draws a visitor from the void to join in. Much like Robin Williams’ character in Jumanji, the unnamed astronaut leads the boys through the game and helps them deal with the various dangers it presents. From hostile aliens to passing celestial bodies, to alternate timelines, the film will keep its young audience guessing.
An audience at the time wouldn’t have known, but Zathura had some real heavy hitters in its cast, years before they reached their strides. Older brother Walter is portrayed by Josh Hutcherson in one of his earliest film roles. Hutcherson is probably best known for his performance as Peeta Mellark in the smash hit Hunger Games franchise. His career continues today, still in starring roles on shows like Future Man. The film is the ninth big-screen role for Twilight star Kristen Stewart. Stewart has gone on to some truly stunning starring roles, including psychological drama Spencer and Lovecraftian horror hit Underwater. Studio comedy mainstay Dax Shepard pops in as the Astronaut, delivering a charming and grounded performance as the lone adult. Shawshank Redemption star Tim Robbins even briefly appears as the family’s dad. The cast all perform admirably, elevating the material and ensuring that the special effects-driven adventure is still full of genuine heart.
Though Zathura does not come close to the cultural cache of its spiritual predecessor, it deserves substantially more recognition than it has. The film was generally enjoyed by critics, but only just made its production budget back at the box office. Standard Hollywood wisdom would correctly label that a failure. Unwisely released during a competitive weekend at the movies, Zathura was buried under bigger franchises. Disney’s poorly received animated film Chicken Little outperformed it on its opening weekend despite having been released a week earlier. The following weekend saw the release of Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, sounding an anticlimactic death knell for Favreau’s mid-budget sci-fi romp. The modest audience that did emerge was largely driven by love for Jumanji, but without Robin Williams’ iconic performance, the film dipped over 60% by its second weekend.
Jon Favreau has proven time and time again that he is a master of crafting family films. From The Jungle Book to Elf, to Zathura, he crafts thrill rides for kids that tell solid stories for adults. Even his take on The Lion King had its upsides. Now that Favreau is a big-time Disney hit-maker, contributing some of the best parts of both Star Wars and the MCU, his career has a slightly bittersweet direction. Undoubtedly those massive franchises would not be what they are today without his influence, but some fans still want to see Favreau take on some smaller-scale original stories. Zathura: A Space Adventure isn’t Favreau’s biggest film, but it’s still an underrated sci-fi classic that will truly delight all audiences.
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