Jack Black and Paul Rudd’s “Anaconda” Reboot Shows How to Reboot

Sony Pictures’ reboot of the 1997 creature feature Anaconda rests on a reliably entertaining premise: two lifelong friends, adrift in a midlife slump, finally set out to remake the original Jennifer Lopez– and Ice Cube–starring thriller. When financial setbacks and an accident that incapacitates their trained snake force the pair into guerrilla-style filmmaking, the stunt spirals into real danger — they soon confront an enormous, hungry anaconda. Read more about creature features.

The film leans heavily on its leads. Jack Black and Paul Rudd play Doug and Jeff, an odd-couple duo whose contrasting energies drive much of the humor and heart. The first trailer makes that clear: Black’s physical, boisterous comedy and Rudd’s easygoing charm make the premise believable — and genuinely funny. There’s a memorably absurd image in the trailer of Black frantically fleeing a massive serpent while a boar carcass is duct-taped to his back, and it’s exactly the kind of cinematic spectacle that sells a movie like this. Paul Rudd’s comic pedigree brings a steady counterpoint to Black’s chaos.

The supporting ensemble includes Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello. Anaconda is directed by Tom Gormican (The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent), from a screenplay by Gormican and Kevin Etten (Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F).

Release date: December 25, 2025

Source: Polygon