Paul Rudd and Jack Black in Talks for Anaconda Reimagining

A reimagining of the 1997 horror film Anaconda is in the works with Jack Black and Paul Rudd reportedly in early talks to star. According to The Hollywood Reporter, the project is being co-written and directed by Tom Gormican, notable for directing Nicolas Cage in The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent. Little is known about the plot, although reports suggest it will follow a group of friends facing mid-life crises who decide to remake a favorite movie from their youth. They embark on a journey to the rainforest where they encounter a series of terrifying events, including clashes with violent criminals, natural disasters, and giant snakes.

Reports are conflicting on who Rudd and Black would portray. Some suggest Black might play a wedding videographer turned director, while Rudd could be an actor grappling with fading Hollywood aspirations. Other sources suggest the roles might be reversed. Discussions around the Anaconda reimagining have been ongoing since 2023, undergoing multiple rewrites. Notably, an Anaconda reboot was mentioned back in 2020, with Evan Daugherty, writer of Snow White and the Huntsman, associated with the project.

Released in 1997, the original Anaconda was directed by Luis Llosa, featuring a star-studded cast including Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, and Owen Wilson. The film’s plot centered on a documentary crew venturing into the Amazon rainforest to find the largest and most deadly snake, the legendary green anaconda. While it didn’t fare well critically or financially at the box office, it gained a cult following and spawned a series of sequels such as Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid (2004), Anaconda 3: Offspring (2008), Anacondas: Trail of Blood (2009), and Lake Placid vs. Anaconda (2015). The last film was a crossover with the Lake Placid series, which revolves around a monstrous crocodile in a remote Maine lake.

Jack Black was recently seen in Borderlands and Kung Fu Panda 4. He is also set to appear in the upcoming Minecraft movie. Paul Rudd, on the other hand, recently appeared in Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire and will star in Death of a Unicorn.

Stay tuned for more updates on the Anaconda reimagining!

Source: The Hollywood Reporter, ComicBook