Jack Black and Paul Rudd in talks to star in new Anaconda film – Report

Maybe we’ll soon get a modern version of Anaconda on the big screen, with two great comedic actors in the lead roles.

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. Additionally, Tom Gormican, known for his work on the Nicolas Cage and Pedro Pascal-starring comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is set to co-write and direct the film for Columbia Pictures.

THR’s sources say the new Anaconda “will follow a group of friends dealing with a midlife crisis who remake their favorite childhood film. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves fighting for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes and violent criminals.” Details on Black 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 film could be very 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 a legendary green anaconda in the Amazon rainforest. Unsurprisingly, things don’t go according to plan.

The film was panned by critics but fared well at the box office, grossing $136 million worldwide (according to Box Office Mojo). A sequel, Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid, was released in 2004, and three more made-for-television sequels followed.

The original film has also become something of a cult classic; a long A running joke on the South African television channel eTV: Anaconda is regularly broadcast during prime time.

Thumbnail image: Columbia Pictures/Getty Images

Alex Stedman is a Senior News Editor at IGN, overseeing entertainment coverage. When she’s not writing or editing, you can find her reading fantasy novels or playing Dungeons & Dragons.