Anaconda Producer On Why It’s Not A Horror Movie & Real Snakes That “Sucked” [Exclusive]

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Do you remember the 1997 movie Anaconda, with Jennifer Lopez and Ice Cube, where a giant snake famously swallowed and then spit out Jon Voight? The new Anaconda movie, coming in 2025, is taking a very different approach. Instead of being scary, it’s a comedy! The film follows Doug (Jack Black) and Griff (Paul Rudd), two childhood friends going through midlife crises. They decide to remake their favorite movie, Anaconda, hoping to relive their youth. While filming in the Amazon with a small crew, they encounter a real giant anaconda that causes chaos on set.

The movie Anaconda arrives in theaters on December 25th and is being produced by Brad Fuller of Platinum Dunes. Platinum Dunes first became known for remaking classic horror films like Texas Chainsaw Massacre, Friday the 13th, A Nightmare on Elm Street, and Amityville Horror. More recently, the company broadened its scope to include sci-fi and action projects such as TMNT and A Quiet Place, and also produced the TV series Jack Ryan and The Last Ship.

Fuller recently spoke with ComicBook via Zoom to discuss the humor in Anaconda, the film’s large snakes, the choices of actors like Black and Rudd, and what he’s working on next.

A new Anaconda movie has been discussed in Hollywood for some time. Here’s how this latest version started to develop.

Brad Fuller explained that A Quiet Place was a turning point for them. Following the success of the second Quiet Place film, they secured a deal with Paramount, but other studios also wanted to work with them. Sony’s president, Sanford Panitch, reached out with a project idea. At the time, they were between projects and needed something new to develop, and Panitch suggested rebooting Anaconda.

My initial reaction was disbelief. I was a huge fan of the original movie – I even saw it in theaters! I immediately felt like I needed to do it justice. We listened to countless pitches, but they all felt the same. We were stuck trying to figure out where to take the story, and then Tom Gormican came along with a brilliant concept.

The story follows a group of friends navigating middle age, realizing their lives haven’t turned out as they once imagined. While they’re not necessarily unhappy, they never quite reached their childhood dreams. They used to make movies together as kids, a passion that faded with time. Now, Paul Rudd’s character has unexpectedly acquired the rights to remake Anaconda, and the group reunites to film it, leading to plenty of comical chaos.

What I really liked was the story of a close-knit group of friends who reconnect and strengthen their bond during an adventure. It was a bold decision by Sony to approve a project like that.

It’s hard to pin down whether Anaconda is a funny movie, a scary one, or a blend of both. How would you categorize it?

This movie is definitely a comedy, and that was a challenge for me since I’d never directed one before. As a producer, I usually stick to what I know, but this time I had to step outside my comfort zone. We started filming about a year ago, and if you’d asked me then, I probably would have said it would be half horror and half comedy – that was our initial idea. But working with Jack Black and Paul Rudd changed everything. Their chemistry is just incredibly funny, and it really shifted the focus.

While making the film, we realized we weren’t fully utilizing the talents of our cast and crew. By the end, it ended up being about 25

Anaconda gets meta. What was fun about going down that rabbit hole?

It was nerve-wracking because, after 40 years in the film industry, movies about filmmaking rarely succeed. While our film isn’t strictly about making a movie, it centers on a group of friends attempting to create one – but the actual filmmaking process is only a small part of the story. Initially, we experimented with a more self-aware, ‘meta’ approach. Luckily, Sony let us test the film with audiences every week, giving us valuable feedback on what worked and what didn’t. We refined it over the last three weeks, carefully balancing how much self-referential content was too much or not enough.

The movie still has some self-aware moments, but they’re toned down. For example, there’s a scene where a character – I think it’s Paul – actually asks who owns the rights to the film Anaconda. It’s a bit strange, but not as over-the-top as it was in earlier versions.

How did casting come together with Jack Black and Paul Rudd?

I was filming in Dublin about a year and a half ago in March. I’d always hoped Paul Rudd would be in my movie, and the studio felt the same way. He’d already read the script and loved it, but he was committed to another project with no breaks in between. I unexpectedly ran into him at a restaurant in Dublin, and I pitched him the idea for Anaconda. He was enthusiastic about joining, but explained he needed some time to finish his current film because it was a demanding, six-day-a-week shoot. That experience taught me how dedicated Paul and Jack Black are to their work – we had to wait until his other movie wrapped up. While waiting, we sent the script to Jack. He read it and said he’d only do the movie if Paul Rudd was also involved. Ultimately, they both agreed to join the project around the same time.

How big is your snak,e and did you rely on CGI or create an animatronic monstrosity?

Determining the snake’s exact size is tricky. We didn’t use a robotic snake – it was a prop. In the boat scene with Paul Rudd, you’re seeing a fake snake created by ILM. The apparent size changes depending on the camera angle, but it’s massive – almost as big as a dinosaur!

Getting the snake animation right was a real challenge and took a lot of time. We were still making adjustments as late as December 5th, and it was a very close call. We’ve faced similar situations with Industrial Light & Magic before, like on A Quiet Place and the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles movies. We trust they’ll eventually deliver a great result, it’s just a stressful process.

Did you base that design on research or let your imagination go wild?

We aimed for a realistic snake design, taking inspiration from anacondas. We enhanced certain features to make it appear more serpentine and intimidating. While anacondas don’t have prominent teeth or fangs, we chose not to add them to our design, even though it might have made the snake seem more dangerous. We wanted to stay true to the animal’s actual appearance.

The movie was particularly scary because we filmed a lot of it in a forest. The best person on set was definitely the snake handler. He’d regularly check around our tents for snakes – everything in Australia seems dangerous! There are so many venomous snakes there. One night, he found some really nasty ones, which honestly made the movie even more frightening. We were all completely freaked out, it was awful.

The “A Quiet Place” movies have been very successful for Platinum Dunes, becoming a popular franchise. Fans are now wondering if a fourth film is in the works.

John Krasinski is both writing and directing the project, so everything is currently with him. I don’t have any details to share right now. We’ll likely learn more once the script is finalized. Paramount is aiming for a 2027 release, which means filming will probably begin sometime between April and September of next year.

The Purge is a successful film series for us, and director James DeMonaco has expressed interest in making another one. Frank Grillo, the actor, is also eager to return. Do we have any news about a potential sequel?

I really enjoy working with James, and I’m thrilled he’s interested in returning. Being on set with him is great – he truly understands the world of the Purge, having created it himself. It’s always a plus when the original creator directs a sequel. I’m also good friends with Frank, and I think he’s a perfect fit for the franchise; I’d love to see him involved again. James is currently writing a script, which I haven’t read yet, but we’re definitely hoping to make another film.

IMDB lists a Michael Bay movie, Outrun, in pre-production. What’s that about?

We’re still in the beginning stages of development. Just before this call, I was telling Bay I needed to jump off the phone to focus on this project. The movie, called Outrun, is inspired by a classic driving game from Sega in the 1980s. Bay has always wanted to make a driving film, and I’m really excited about working with Sydney Sweeney, who’s been a great supporter of our company. She brought us a couple of good ideas, so I want to return the favor, and Outrun feels like the perfect project for her. Plus, Sydney genuinely loves cars and works on them herself – she’s a true enthusiast. I’ve paired her with Michael at Universal, and they’re currently working on the script.

I’ve noticed Platinum Games has a knack for taking on classic horror and giving it a fresh spin with their reboots and remakes, which is awesome! I’m really curious – is there any particular horror franchise they’ve been wanting to tackle for a while now? I’d love to know what property they’re dreaming of reimagining!

I would have loved to have done a Halloween movie, but Blumhouse really delivered. We’ve made a lot of films as a company, and what excites me now – more than it did 25 years ago – is taking a familiar title and reimagining it, like we did with Anaconda or 21 Jump Street. I find that much more appealing than simply remaking someone else’s work. Remakes were a great way for me to start my career; I learned a lot about filmmaking by being able to compare our approach to the original, while still having a solid foundation for our own vision. That was incredibly helpful when I was a young producer. When we tackled Texas Chainsaw Massacre, horror remakes weren’t as common.

Anaconda is now playing in movie theaters! Check out ComicBook’s review, and let us know what you thought of the film. Share your opinions in the comments below and join the discussion in the ComicBook Forum!

https://comicbook.com/movies/review/jack-black-and-paul-rudd-are-the-new-abbott-and-costello-in-anaconda-review/embed/#

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2025-12-25 19:42