The comedy chemist Jack Black and ant-sized hero Paul Rudd have taken on their Christmas-New Year's duties. However, what is supposed to be joyous and gift-filled has been reimagined as something slithering and sly by the duo.

Paul Rudd and Jack Black star in the upcoming Anaconda, creating hype around a meta-reprise of the 1997 classic. With Tom Gormican helming the action-comedy, Kevin Etten has co-written the film.

Set for a December 25, 2025, release, the film follows two friends in midlife crises, deciding to recreate their childhood favorite movie. As any adventure in the Amazon may hint, chaos ensues when a real giant anaconda appears. ​

The ensemble includes Steve Zahn, Thandiwe Newton, Daniela Melchior, and Selton Mello alongside Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Jack Black portrays Doug, a wedding videographer, while Paul Rudd plays Griff, a background actor.

Producers include Andrew Fuller and Brad Form alongside Etter and Gormican. This slapstick spectacle seems to shift the franchise from horror to forest farce. ​

Before Rudd and Black could, however, J.Lo and Ice Cube had dared to tango with a serpent the size of a semi-truck, back in the '90s.

The 1997 dance with the devilish Anaconda

The 1997 Anaconda had delivered an action-adventure horror blueprint. Directed by Luis Llosa, it portrayed a documentary crew hunting a giant green anaconda in the Amazon, with obvious consequences for a creature-feature.

Stars include Jennifer Lopez as Terri Flores, Ice Cube as Danny Rich. Jon Voight as Paul Serone, Eric Stoltz, Jonathan Hyde, and Owen Wilson had rounded up the cast back then.

Paul Rudd and Jack Black transform Anaconda into festive comedy gold for Christmas 2025. This reboot honors the original spirit through humor, not horror or plot.

What do you think of the 2025 Anaconda? Let us know in the comments below!

Written by

Adiba Nizami

Edited by

Aliza Siddiqui