Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn Join ‘Anaconda’ Reimagining

LOS ANGELES, Calif. — Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn have joined the cast of Columbia Pictures‘ comedic reimagining of the 1997 horror film Anaconda, set to release on Dec. 25, 2025. The film, now shooting in Australia, will also star Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Selton Mello, and Ione Skye.

The new story follows a group of friends facing mid-life crises who decide to remake their favorite childhood movie. Their journey to the rainforest turns perilous as they encounter natural disasters, giant snakes, and violent criminals. Black plays a wedding videographer turned reluctant director, while Rudd portrays a fading actor clinging to his Hollywood dreams. Newton and Zahn join as childhood friends, with Mello as a Brazilian animal wrangler and Skye as Black’s wife.

Tom Gormican, known for directing The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent, is co-writing the script with Kevin Etten and will direct the feature. The original Anaconda, starring Jennifer Lopez, Owen Wilson, Ice Cube, and Jon Voight, followed a documentary crew hunting a deadly snake. The film spawned three sequels and a 2015 crossover movie.

Newton, an Emmy winner for Westworld, and Zahn, known for Silo and The White Lotus, bring star power to the project. Mello, a celebrated Brazilian actor and director, makes his English-language debut. The film is produced by Fully Formed, the banner of Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, and supported by the Queensland Government through Screen Queensland‘s Production Attraction Strategy.

Newton is represented by WME and Independent Talent, while Zahn is repped by UTA, Principal Entertainment LA, and Sloane Offer. Mello is represented by Danielle Robinson at ColorCreative and Lucy Popkin at GGSSC, and Skye by Buchwald, CP Artist Management, and Management Production Entertainment.