NEED TO KNOW
- Anaconda, starring Jack Black and Paul Rudd, will premiere in theaters in December 2025
- The film is a reimagining of the 1997 cult classic Anaconda, starring Jennifer Lopez
- Sony Pictures Entertainment dropped the first trailer of the movie on Sept. 17
What happens when Jack Black and Paul Rudd get their hands on a real-life snake? You’ll have to watch the Anaconda reboot to find out.
In December 2024, Rudd and Black first teased the movie, which is a reimagining of Jennifer Lopez’s 1997 killer snake horror flick Anaconda, in a sweet video from set. The original film — which also starred Owen Wilson, Jon Voight and Ice Cube — made $16.6 million in its opening and went on to gross $136.9 million worldwide, per Deadline.
Now, it’s being rebooted into a meta-style action-comedy film that follows Doug (Black) and Griff (Rudd) as they remake their all-time favorite movie, Anaconda. While the pair might not be childhood best friends like Doug and Griff, Black told PEOPLE that teaming up with Rudd was a “main reason” he wanted to be involved in Anaconda.
“I’m a huge fan of Paul’s work,” he said. “Dude is f—— hilarious. And a sweet pea to boot!”
Rudd added, “I love Jack and was thrilled to get to do this with him. We’ve done a few little things in the past, and to get to really work together for months like this was fantastic.”
From its cast to its release date, here’s everything to know about the Anaconda reboot.
What is Anaconda about?
Anaconda follows childhood best friends Doug and Griff, who have always dreamed of remaking their favorite movie: 1997’s Anaconda.
As the synopsis states, a midlife crisis encourages the pair to finally go for their dreams of re-making it, and so they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. However, things take a turn when a real-life anaconda appears, turning their “comically chaotic movie set into a deadly situation.”
“The movie they’re dying to make? It might just get them killed……,” the synopsis reads.
Who is in the cast of Anaconda?
The film is led by Black and Rudd, who star as best friends Doug and Griff, respectively. Black is best known for his roles in 2003’s School of Rock, 2025’s A Minecraft Movie and lending his voice to the Kung Fu Panda franchise. Meanwhile, Rudd most recently starred in the Ant-Man series and 2025’s Death of a Unicorn and Friendship.
The cast is rounded out by Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello.
Zahn previously appeared in HBO Max’s The White Lotus, as well as 2001’s Joy Ride and 2017’s War for the Planet of the Apes. Newton was last seen in Netflix’s Wednesday, and has also appeared in 2000’s Mission: Impossible II and 2004’s Crash.
“I f—– up so many takes laughing at these guys,” Zahn told PEOPLE of working with the stellar cast. “Dream job.”
Who is directing Anaconda?
Anaconda will be directed by Tom Gormican, who is also co-writing the movie alongside Kevin Etten.
Gormican is best known for writing 2014’s That Awkward Moment and 2022’s The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, which he also penned alongside Etten.
Rudd and Black both told PEOPLE that Gormican and Etten’s involvement — and their previous work on The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent — were factors in getting them on board for Anaconda.
“It was a clever script and the meta angles of it were appealing to me,” Rudd said. “I was a big fan of The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, and the tone of this and that seemed to live in the same world.”
Black echoed the sentiment, saying that Gormican and Etten “brought that same meta magic energy to this script and production.”
Is there a trailer for Anaconda?
Sony Pictures Entertainment released the Anaconda trailer on Sept. 17. The first glimpse of the film showed Griff opening the door to Doug, who says he “doesn’t want to wait” and suggests that it’s time for them to reboot Anaconda.
Griff quickly agrees, and the best friends set off on what Doug describes as an “adventure of a lifetime.” They learn that it will cost $2.5 million to make the movie — though hit an obstacle when the bank only approves them for a $9,400 loan.
Despite the upsetting news, Griff and Doug gather a crew and decide to shoot it “indie style,” collecting only the essentials: a river boat, a script, a snake handler and a real snake.
But chaos erupts when the anaconda escapes mid-filming, forcing the team deep into the jungle in search of another. Soon, they find themselves being chased by a massive snake, turning their filmmaking mission into a frantic fight for survival.
At one point, Doug appears to be dead. But in the trailer’s final moments, he wakes up and has to run at full speed with what looks like a dead pig slung over his shoulders, the gargantuan anaconda chasing him close behind.
When will Anaconda be released?
Need Christmas plans? Anaconda will be released in theaters on Dec. 25, 2025!
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