Van Pelt is a big game hunter who resides within the deepest darkest dimension of the cursed board game, "JUMANJI". Van Pelt's portrait is carved into the top left corner of the cover of the board game, making him one of the game's main dangers. He is the main antagonist of the 1995 film, portrayed by Jonathan Hyde in the movie (who also played Alan's father, Sam Parrish in the film). He frequently appears the 1996 animated series, voiced by Sherman Howard. Another Van Pelt appears in the 2017 film played by Bobby Cannavale, albeit Professor Van Pelt is much closer to Ashton Philips.