Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn join cast of new ‘Anaconda’ movie

The two actors will star alongside Paul Rudd and Jack Black, besides Selton Mello who makes his English-language debut, and actor Ione Skye in this Tom Gormican directorial which is a comedic reimagining of the 1997 horror movie 'Anaconda'

Los Angeles: British star Thandiwe Newton and ‘Silo’ actor Steve Zahn are set to feature in Columbia’s comedic reimagining of the 1997 horror movie ‘Anaconda’.

According to entertainment news outlet ‘The Hollywood Reporter’, the two actors will star alongside Paul Rudd and Jack Black. Selton Mello, who appears in the critically-acclaimed Brazilian movie ‘I’m Still Here’, has also boarded the film, which will mark his English-language debut, along with actor Ione Skye.

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Tom Gormican, director of the Nicolas Cage meta-film ‘The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent’, is co-writing the script with his collaborator Kevin Etten and will also direct the feature.

The story will reportedly follow a group of friends facing mid-life crises who are remaking their favourite 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.

Black will play an erstwhile director, a man stuck in his job as a wedding videographer, while Rudd will play an actor who did a stint on a cop show but sees his Hollywood dreams slipping further and further away.

‘Anaconda’, directed by Luis Llosa, was about a documentary film crew in the Amazon that comes across an obsessed hunter looking to find a legendary anaconda. The 1997 film featured the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, Eric Stoltz and Owen Wilson.

Despite average reviews, the film became a cult favourite for its creature horror and suspenseful jungle setting. It earned $135 million against its $45 million budget.

The franchise expanded with multiple sequels, including ‘Anacondas: The Hunt for the Blood Orchid’ (2004), ‘Anaconda 3: Offspring’ (2008), ‘Anacondas: Trail of Blood’ (2009), and ‘Lake Placid vs. Anaconda’ (2015), a crossover with the ‘Lake Placid’ series.