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Sony’s meta-thriller “Anaconda” just dropped its first trailer, featuring Jack Black and Paul Rudd in a comedic twist on the classic monster movie. The pair play lifelong friends who decide to remake the 1997 cult film “Anaconda” – only to find themselves hunted by an actual giant snake during their Amazon shoot.
The film represents a bold departure from traditional remakes. Instead of simply retelling the original story, director Tom Gormican has crafted a self-aware comedy that acknowledges its source material while creating something entirely new.
Gormican – who previously directed Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal in “The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent” – brings his meta-filmmaking expertise to this project. He’s no stranger to comedy, having helmed 2014’s “That Awkward Moment” and contributed to the script for “Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F.”
Sony Pictures has set a Christmas Day release date.
The original 1997 “Anaconda” featured an ensemble cast including Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight. That film – which also starred Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, and Owen Wilson – became a surprise hit despite mixed critical reception, ultimately spawning several sequels.
According to Sony’s official synopsis: “Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd) have been best friends since they were kids, and have always dreamed of remaking their all-time favorite movie: the cinematic ‘classic’ Anaconda. When a midlife crisis pushes them to finally go for it, they head deep into the Amazon to start filming. But things get real when an actual giant 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 film also stars Selton Mello, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, and Steve Zahn – rounding out what appears to be an eclectic supporting cast.
Both leads come to the project riding waves of success. Black recently starred in “A Minecraft Movie” – the highest-grossing film of the year – while Rudd has appeared in two acclaimed A24 productions: “Death of a Unicorn” and “Friendship.”
