Jack Black and Paul Rudd Circling Leads in ‘Anaconda’ Reimagining

Jack Black (‘Jumanji: The Next Level,’ ‘Kung Fu Panda 4’) and Paul Rudd (‘Ant-Man and the Wasp: Quantumania,’ ‘Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire’) are in talks to star in a new ‘Anaconda‘ reboot.

Tom Gormican is set to direct the feature with a screenplay he co-wrote with his collaborator Kevin Etten for Columbia Pictures. Gormican previously directed the Nicolas Cage meta movie The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent.

The reboot story involves a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.

Fully Formed, the banner run by producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, is producing the project. Andrew Form recently signed a first-look deal with Sony’s division, Screen Gems.

The original movie, Anaconda—released in 1997 and starring Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, and Owen Wilson—followed a storyline focusing on a documentary film crew in the Amazon rainforest that is led by a snake hunter who is hunting down a giant, legendary green anaconda.

The last Anaconda film is 2015’s Lake Placid vs. Anaconda, a crossover between the Lake Placid and Anaconda franchises, where giant crocodiles and anacondas clash in a small town. Previous films in the series include 2004’s Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, 2008’s Anaconda 3: Offspring, and 2009’s Anacondas: Trail of Blood.

The project has been in development at the studio since early 2023 and has undergone numerous rewrites as the filmmaker and Columbia worked to find the right balance of tones.

Black recently provided voice work for Borderlands, Kung Fu Panda 4, and The Super Mario Bros. Movie. He’s also set to star in Warner Bros.’ Minecraft movie. Black, who collaborated with Sony on the successful Jumanji films, is represented by Sloane Offer.

Paul Rudd was last seen in theaters in Sony’s Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire. His upcoming projects include the A24 feature Death of a Unicorn and John Carney’s latest music-based drama Power Ballad. He is represented by UTA and Lighthouse Management.

The new ‘Anaconda’ reboot currently has no release date.

Source: THR