Jack Black and Paul Rudd face midlife, mayhem, and a giant snake…
Tom Gormican, the filmmaker who gave audiences Nicolas Cage’s self-parodying cult hit The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is back with another fourth-wall-breaking, self-aware comedy. This time, he’s aiming his lens at the Amazon jungle in a bold and irreverent reboot of Anaconda. Sony has just released the first trailer, and the film is already shaping up to be one of the year’s most unexpected holiday releases.
Set for a December 25th theatrical debut, Gormican’s Anaconda brings together a powerhouse cast: Jack Black, Paul Rudd, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, Steve Zahn, Selton Mello, and Ione Skye. The film promises a wild mash-up of nostalgic homage, buddy comedy, and jungle-thriller chaos, blending midlife-crisis humor with blockbuster spectacle.
The premise takes a delightfully absurd turn. A group of childhood friends decides to remake their favorite movie—Anaconda—as a way of reclaiming their youthful spark. But when they trek into the actual rainforest to film, the line between parody and reality blurs. Natural disasters, violent criminals, and yes, a real giant anaconda quickly transform their DIY production into a fight for survival.
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……”
Black stars as Doug, an exasperated wedding videographer-turned-wannabe director, while Rudd plays Griff, a washed-up TV actor desperate to revive his fading Hollywood career. Newton and Zahn step in as their longtime friends along for the ride, with Mello as a no-nonsense Brazilian animal wrangler and Skye as Doug’s supportive yet skeptical wife.
Behind the camera, Gormican co-wrote the screenplay with Kevin Etten. The film is produced by Brad Fuller, Andrew Form, Kevin Etten, and Gormican himself, with Samson Mücke serving as executive producer.
For fans of the original, this reboot pays tongue-in-cheek tribute to the 1997 Anaconda that starred Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight. That cult classic spawned multiple sequels (The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, Anaconda 3: Offspring, Trail of Blood) and even a crossover (Lake Placid vs. Anaconda). There was even a Chinese remake featuring circus performers battling a monstrous serpent. Gormican’s version, however, takes a self-aware, comedic spin that leans into nostalgia while delivering something fresh for modern audiences.
If the trailer is any indication, Anaconda is less about rebooting a creature feature and more about satirizing Hollywood itself. All while still delivering the thrills, laughs, and snake-fueled terror fans expect. With a holiday release date, an all-star comedic cast, and Gormican’s flair for genre-bending comedy, this Anaconda reboot could be the perfect mix of parody and popcorn entertainment to close out 2025.