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Critics Split on Jack BlackPaul RuddAnaconda’ Reboot Ahead of Christmas Release

Early notices describe a meta comedy poking at reboot culture that struggles with tone.

Overview

  • Anaconda opens in theaters on Dec. 25 as Sony’s PG-13, 99-minute reimagining of the 1997 creature feature.
  • Directed by Tom Gormican and co-written with Kevin Etten, the film stars Jack Black and Paul Rudd with Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, Daniela Melchior and Selton Mello in support.
  • The story follows four friends who head to the Amazon to shoot an amateur remake of Anaconda and find themselves facing a real giant snake.
  • Reviews range from positive to negative, praising the Black–Rudd pairing and scene-stealers Zahn and Mello, while noting thin characterization for Newton and uneven execution.
  • Coverage highlights a primarily comic tone with winks at reboot culture, modest scares, cameos nodding to the 1997 original, and production that combined Queensland locations with a trained anaconda and VFX.