The Anaconda franchise is snaking its way back to theaters this holiday season, and the cast continues to grow. THR reports today that Thandiwe Newton (“Westworld”) and Steve Zahn (“Silo,” Joy Ride) have joined the comedic reimagining of the 1997 action horror movie.
Sony’s Anaconda is set to release in theaters on December 25, 2025.
Selton Mello, making his English-language debut, and Ione Skye (Zodiac) have also joined the cast that includes Jack Black, Paul Rudd (Ghostbusters: Frozen Empire), and Daniela Melchior (James Gunn’s The Suicide Squad, Road House).
The plot is said to follow “a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favorite movie from their youth. They head to the rainforest, only to find themselves in a fight for their lives against natural disasters, giant snakes, and violent criminals.”
The new cast additions also bring new character details. Black is set to play a director stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, and Rudd stars as an actor worried that his Hollywood dreams will evaporate. As for the newcomers, THR notes that “Newton and Zahn are other childhood friends that join the two on the ill-fated adventure, while Mello will play a Brazilian animal wrangler. Skye is playing Black’s wife.”
The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent filmmaker Tom Gormican, who co-writes the feature with collaborator Kevin Etten, will direct.
Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight starred in the original film that saw a documentary film crew held hostage by a deranged hunter as he seeks to hunt the world’s biggest and deadliest snake. The film’s success launched three sequels between 2004 and 2009. More recently, the Anaconda franchise battled the Lake Placid franchise in a 2015 crossover movie.
With filmming now underway in Australia, expect to hear a lot more about this comedic reimagining of Anaconda in the coming months.