Paul Rudd and Jack Black may be heading to the jungle. Deadline is hearing that while no deal is done, the two are in early talks to star in Anaconda at Sony Pictures. The Unbearable Weight Of Massive Talent writers Tom Gormican and Kevin Ettin penned the script, with Gormican planning to direct. Brad Fuller and Andrew Form are producing through Fully Formed banner.
The studio had no comment.
The original 1997 thriller starred Jennifer Lopez, Jon Voight, Owen Wilson and Ice Cube and followed a National Geographic-esque film crew that is taken hostage by an insane hunter, who forces them along on his quest to capture the world’s largest and deadliest snake, an anaconda. The film overperformed at the box office, bringing in $145 million globally including $65 million domestically. It also provided Lopez and Cube with a box office hit early on in their careers.
Sources say this latest version is not a remake but a new take with the same snake front and center, with a story that leans more toward the comedy front.
Insiders add that deals are still far apart, but discussions have been ongoing for some time. We will break more details as they are revealed.
Gormican’s most recent work came in penning the script for Beverly Hills Cop: Axel F, another movie franchise extension that returned star Eddie Murphy to his iconic role. It was a hit for Netflix which released it in July.
The MyTimeToShineHello Twitter handle broke the news about the Black casting news.
