Model Citizen

This rant is a bit different because it involves two films I actually like.

First we have the groundbreaking piece of originality that is Jumanji directed by Joe Johnston.

In this film we see a young Alan Parrish, due to be sent away to boarding school, just rowed with his Dad, bullied at school, find a strange boardgame at a local construction site. No questions are asked about the makers of the game, where it first came from (though the film starts with the game being buried by two boys in an earlier generation).
As the game is played, strange things start to happen, the world of Jumanji seeps into the real world causing chaos and mayhem wherever it spreads too.
The film was incredible. A very fresh idea, a great performance from all the cast led by Robin Williams. Some groundbreaking effects from ILM. A truly stunning performance for 1995.



Now we jump ahead 10 years to 2005.
Another excellent film Zathura....but how on earth dod this get made?
Imagine the sales pitch from now Director Jon Favreau to the film company:

Sony Pictures:Hi Jon, how you doing and what have you got for us?
Jon Favreau: I've got a great story from Chris Van Allsburg!
SP: Hey, is'nt that the guy that wrote Jumanji? What's this one all about?
JF: Well, it's about these two boys...
SP: Oh' great, another family movie, tell us more.
JF: Anyway, these two boys are left in a big old house and find an old boardgame.
SP: Uh, yeah.
JF: So they start playing it and the game kind of comes to life.
SP: Uh?
JF: Now it all turns to chaos, we have loads of effects and if the boys can finish the game it will all go back to normal.
SP: ........?



Do you see where I'm coming from? How on earth did they manage to make the same film twice from the same writer? I do like both films, and glad they're in my collection, but realisticly how on earth did this happen?