The cast of the Anaconda reboot has been jubilantly announced in a new song from Jack Black. Originally a 1997 jungle adventure movie directed by Luis Llosa, Anaconda featured a leading cast including Jon Voight, Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, and Eric Stoltz as part of a National Geographic crew captured by an intense hunter, culminating in a quest to hunt down the world’s largest and deadliest snake. In 2020, a remake of Anaconda was announced, and the production subsequently cast Black and Paul Rudd in lead roles.
Now, the rest of the Anaconda cast has been whimsically revealed by Sony Pictures Entertainment. The information was announced via song, with Black singing along to an acoustic guitar while reciting a list of stars. The cast members include Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Rudd, Selton Mello, Daniela Melchior, and Black himself. The goofy song continued on with “we gotta kill the snake, and the snake inside.” Rudd played percussion to assist as Black continued with lyrics like “and when we bring that snake back home, we’re gonna have ourselves a movie.” With this recent announcement, the Anaconda remake’s cast seems set in stone.
Black himself is a charismatic choice for the jungle adventure film, and it will also be an exciting reunion between two co-stars. Black previously worked with Zahn on the slapstick 2001 romantic comedy Saving Silverman. The duo showcased their goofy dynamic in this film, released during the earlier parts of their careers. Decades later, it will be interesting to see what new on-screen rapport they can craft together. Rudd and Melchior’s roles were already known prior to this announcement, but Newton stands out as a newly confirmed cast member.
Best known for her role in Westworld, Newton’s recent work has been heavily dominated by voice acting, including parts in Chicken Run: Dawn of the Nugget, Big Mouth, and Mufasa: The Lion King. Though the exact nature of her role in Anaconda has not been revealed, she will likely have a live-action part in the upcoming film, marking her first on-screen appearance since 2022.
In addition to revealing new cast members, the Anaconda announcement continues a marketing trend for this movie. The film’s release date, Christmas 2025, was also announced via a short video from Rudd and Black in late 2024. This marketing strategy indicates that Anaconda is leveraging Black and Rudd as their main selling points, building enthusiasm for the movie. Perhaps this melodic unveiling might even suggest that Black will produce an original song or cover for the film, similar to his efforts last year for Kung Fu Panda 4. With all these exciting developments, fans of Jack Black and the Anaconda franchise have plenty to look forward to.
