Jack Black and Paul Rudd in Early Talks for New ‘Anaconda’

The comedic actors are circling the leads in a new, funnier take on the 1997 horror title, with ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’s Tom Gormican directing.

(Left) Paul Rudd as Ben in season 3 of 'Only Murders in the Building.' Photo by: Patrick Harbron/Hulu. (Right) Actor Jack Black performs at the live ABC Telecast of The 87th Oscars® at the Dolby® Theatre in Hollywood, CA on Sunday, February 22, 2015. Photo: Michael Yada / ©A.M.P.A.S.

Preview:

Jack Black and Paul Rudd may star in a new version of ‘Anaconda’.
Jennifer Lopez and Jon Voight headlined the 1997 original.
Tom Gormican is attached to direct the new movie.

Movie studios love dipping into their archives to find old titles they can slap some remake/re-imagining/legacy sequel paint onto and push into theaters to earn some fresh cash.

Sony is doing just that, having kicked off development of a new take on 1997’s ‘Anaconda,’ which, as you can guess, focused on a snake. In this case, a massive snake.

Development has been underway on the new version and, according to rumor-carrying Twitter feed MyTimeToShineHello (with a confirmation and some extra details via The Hollywood Reporter), Jack Black and Paul Rudd are in talks to co-star in the movie.

Anaconda

"When you can't breathe, you can't scream."

PG-131 hr 29 minApr 11th, 1997

Watch Anaconda Online

What’s the story of ‘Anaconda’?

Jennifer Lopez in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

The original movie starred Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube and Jon Voight, and followed a National Geographic film crew who is hunting for the world’s largest and deadliest snake, only to find the tables turned.

As you might expect, there is a lot of giant snake action.

That first outing didn’t strike critics well but grossed $136 million at the global box office and went on to quickly reach cult classic status.

‘Anaconda’ was followed by a series of films, including 2004’s ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’, which also did good theatrical business, before a plunge into schlock fare with two movies that aired on the Sci-Fi Channel in 2008 (starring David Hasselhoff) and 2009.

The last outing was in 2015, when the horror franchise was paired with the crocodile-centric ‘Lake Placid’ series for a horror comedy titled simply, ‘Lake Placid vs. Anaconda,’ starring Yancy Butler and Robert Englund.

What tone will the new ‘Anaconda’ take?

(L to R) Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube in 1997's 'Anaconda'. Photo: Sony Pictures Releasing.

As you might expect given the presence of Black and Rudd, the aim is for the new movie to go a more comedic route.

Tom Gormican, who last brought us Nicolas Cage spoof ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, is apparently co-writing the script with collaborator Kevin Etten and will direct.

The Reporter’s sources are pointing to the new story involving 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.

But the details are foggier when it comes to the roles that the new actors are considering. There are competing accounts: one has Black playing an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd is an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away. It might, however, be the other way round.