Entertainment

Watch: This artist spent seven months recreating the Jumanji board game and the result is exquisite

The film gets a sequel later this year with Dwayne Johnson and a video games console, but what can beat the classic board game?
The film gets a sequel later this year with Dwayne Johnson and a video games console, but what can beat the classic board game? The film gets a sequel later this year with Dwayne Johnson and a video games console, but what can beat the classic board game?

If you were a kid in the 90s, just the word Jumanji might bring back feelings of nostalgia – but this artist’s masterpiece will take you to a new level.

Steven Richter, from Long Island, New York, spent seven months creating an exquisite replica of the magical rainforest-themed board game Robin Williams battled his way out of in the 1995 film.

The Jumanji board
The Jumanji board
(Steve Richter)

Richter created a timelapse of him at work on the masterpiece, which shows the incredible lengths he went to crafting each piece of the board.

Crafted on-and-off over his weekends, Richter’s masterpiece is exquisitely detailed down to the four playing pieces and aged-looking dice.

Jumanji dice
Jumanji dice
(Steve Richter)

“There was a lot of patience involved in doing as exact a replica as I could,” Richter told the Press Association. “I didn’t want to cheat, so every leaf on the board is sculpted to match the screen used prop.”

Richter works at Tom Spina Designs, a company specialising in movie prop restoration and display.

“I’ve been working there for five years over which I’ve honed in my sculpting skills and picked up various other hobbies and skills,” said Richter.

The Jumanji board game with Rhino piece
The Jumanji board game with Rhino piece
(Steve Richter)

“I’ve been an artist for as long as I can remember and I’ve been obsessed with the Jumanji board since I was six,” said Richter. “I still have drawings I did of the board from kindergarten.”

Jumanji elephant
Jumanji elephant
(Steve Richter)

For others looking to start crafting their own artwork, Richter suggests YouTube is the best tool.

“People make videos about every minutia of every skill,” he said. “You just have to go find them.”

Jumanji rhino carving
Jumanji rhino carving
(Steve Richter)

Richter has showcased his talents on his own YouTube channel, with other builds including a miniaturised remake of Doctor Who’s Tardis to house a Sonic Screwdriver replica.

“In the future I’m looking to make more timelapse videos as they are a good way to help me focus on finishing pieces,” said Richter. “Being able to show people how I made it at the end was even more exciting than showing them the finished product.”