The ensemble is coming together for the comedic reboot of Anaconda. Thandiwe Newton (Westworld) and Steve Zahn (Silo) are set to join previously announced cast members Paul Rudd and Jack Black in a reimagining of the 1997 film.
Joining Newton and Zahn are Selton Mello, a Brazilian actor making his first appearance in an English-language film, and Ione Skye (Arrested Development, Good Girls). Mello, celebrated for his role in the Brazilian drama I’m Still Here (the highly-praised film is currently on its release rollout), takes on the role of an animal wrangler. Skye will play the wife of Black’s character. THR broke the news.
The story veers away from the original film’s plot, where a documentary crew encounters a giant snake in the Amazon. It’s also leaving behind the horror lean, going for a more comedic take. The plot this time will focus on a group of friends who, grappling with mid-life crises, decide to recreate their favourite childhood movie. Of course, their well-meaning adventure spirals into disaster, complete with enormous snakes, hazardous terrain, and criminals thrown into the mix.
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Rudd and Black’s characters are former colleagues with fading aspirations in the film industry, while Newton and Zahn portray old friends joining them on this chaotic journey.
Tom Gormican, known for directing Nicolas Cage action-comedy The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is at the helm of the film and has written the screenplay with Kevin Etten (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F).
Filming is currently underway in Australia, with support from Screen Queensland. Said Queensland Arts Minister John-Paul Langbroek when the production start was announced in December: “Filming Anaconda will inject an estimated $40 million into the state’s economy and create jobs for more than 300 screen practitioners, which is a wonderful outcome for our great state.”
The new Anaconda is slated for a U.S. release on 25 December and an Australian release on 26 December.