Jack Black and Paul Rudd Take on Anaconda in Meta Reboot Trailer

Naturally, things unravel almost immediately. Their rented snake meets an untimely end, only for an actual giant anaconda to interrupt the production. In the trailer, Rudd says, “We’re gonna shoot it indie style, one and done.” The movie they’ve always wanted to make turns into their own survival story. It’s all set to Sir Mix-a-Lot’s “Baby Got Back,” someone clearly having run an absolutely inspired Google search for “songs with the word anaconda in them.”

The original Anaconda, starring Jennifer Lopez, Ice Cube, Jon Voight, and Owen Wilson, earned nearly $140 million worldwide despite critical dismissal, and inspired a long-running series of direct-to-video sequels. This reboot leans into that reputation with a knowingly absurd twist. There is an irony to rebooting a movie so derided by critics, with the new angle being to wholly embrace its own bizarre nature. The trailer suggests a mashup of B-movie horror and buddy comedy, complete with slapstick chaos. The project comes from producers Brad Fuller and Andrew Form, known for films like The Purge and A Quiet Place.

Aiming for the kind of holiday box office run that the Jumanji reboots had in 2017 and 2019, Anaconda is in theaters Dec. 25.