Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Talks to Star in a New Anaconda Movie - Report

We may be getting a modern version of Anaconda on the big screen, with two big comedic actors in slithering around to star.

According to a report from THR today, Jack Black and Paul Rudd are in talks to star in a “re-imagining” of the 1997 action-horror film. What’s more, Tom Gormican, known for his work on the Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal-starring comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is co-writing and directing the movie for Columbia Pictures.

THR’s sources say that the new Anaconda “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.” The specifics of Black’s and Rudd’s roles are currently unclear.

Anaconda is a bit of an odd choice for a revival but, based on the talent involved, it seems like the new movie could be going full tongue-in-cheek. The 1997 film starred Ice Cube, Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, and Owen Wilson, and followed a documentary film crew hunting down a legendary green anaconda in the Amazon rainforest. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go according to plan.

The film was absolutely ravaged by critics, but it performed well at the box office, grossing $136 million worldwide (per Box Office Mojo). A sequel, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, arrived in 2004, followed by three more made-for-television sequels.

The original movie has also become something of a cult classic as well; a long running gag at South African television station eTV sees Anaconda in regular primetime rotation.

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