Iconic Robin Williams Movie Cracks Netflix’s Top 10

Few actors are as universally beloved as the late, great Robin Williams, and one of his most popular films has found great success on Netflix. Jumanji, the 1995 live-action children’s film, has built a reputation for traumatizing millennials with its terrifying depictions of killer vines and children turning Into monkeys, and it’s currently sitting at no. 9 on Netflix’s top 10 after being added to the streaming service.

Jumanji, which also stars Bonnie Hunt, Kirsten Dunst, Bradley Pierce, and David Alan Grier, told the story of two kids who find a magical boardgame and release a man (Williams) who has been trapped Inside for decades. Not only that but wild animals and other dangers are also unleashed and can only be stopped when the game is completed. The film received mixed reviews on its release and earned $263 million at the box office. The modest hit has maintained a beloved place In the cultural zeitgeist ever since, mostly due to Williams’ delightful performance, and even inspired a new franchise starring Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson, Kevin Hart, and Jack Black.

Pierce gave an interview in 2020 remembering Williams, who died by suicide in 2014. “We were filming the monsoon scene and I think it was day 7 or 8 in that rain tank,” the child star explained. “We were all in wetsuits, but spending 8 hours in the water was really draining. It was coming to the end of the day, and children on set can only be on set for a certain number of hours. Producers approached our parents and said, ‘We’ve only got a half-hour left of shooting, is there any way we can do a little bit of overtime just to get it done?’”

Pierce explained that this kind of request wasn’t unheard of and that shooting It all In one day would likely have saved tens of thousands of dollars. However, Williams heard about the producers’ request and stepped In on behalf of his young costars. “Robin caught wind of these conversations happening and apparently he pulled the director and producers aside and said, ‘No we’re not doing any extra time. You’re gonna let everyone out of the pool now and we’re going to be coming back next week,’” Pierce explained. “For all the dollars that would have cost, nobody else could have stood up the way he did.”

“In addition to being warm and generous and kind, he was also very protective of all of us,” Pierce remembered. “He told everyone, ‘we’re done today, time to go home.’”