The ensemble is coming together for a comedic reboot of Anaconda. Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) and Steve Zahn (Silo) will join previously announced cast members Paul Rudd and Jack Black in reimagining the 1997 film.
Joining Newton and Zahn will be Brazilian actor Selton Melo, making his first appearance in an English-language film, and Ione Skye (Arrested Development, Good Girls). Melo, known for his role in the Brazilian drama I’m Still Here (currently in theaters), plays the role of an animal owner. Skye will play the wife of Black’s character. THR broke the news.
The story deviates from the original film’s plot, with a documentary film crew encountering a giant snake in the Amazon. It also leaves the horror elements behind and goes in a more comedic direction. This time the plot focuses on a group of friends who face a midlife crisis and decide to relive their favorite childhood movies. Of course, their well-intentioned adventure turns into a disaster, involving giant snakes, dangerous terrain, and criminals.
The characters of Rudd and Black are former colleagues with fading aspirations in the film industry, while Newton and Zahn portray old friends who join this chaotic journey.
Tom Gormican, known for directing the Nicolas Cage action comedy The Unbearable Weight, will helm the film, while Kevin Etten (The Unbearable Weight of a Great Talent, Beverly Hills) will helm the film. He co-wrote the script with Axel F.
Filming is currently taking place in Australia and is supported by Screen Queensland. When production was announced in December, Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbrouck said: “The filming of ‘Anaconda’ will inject an estimated $40 million into the state’s economy and create more than 300 film jobs. This is a tremendous accomplishment for our great state.”
The new Anaconda will be released in the US on December 25th and in Australia on December 26th.
