Jack Black and Paul Rudd’s Anaconda really rides on its unique concept of a self-aware reboot for its sense of humor, but stars Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn say their co-stars nearly ruined a more serious moment. The latest installment in the cult favorite horror franchise hails from The Unbearable Weight of Massive Talent creative duo Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten, who co-wrote the script together while the former directs.
Black, Rudd, Newton and Zahn star in the Anaconda reboot as a group of childhood friends who once aspired to be filmmakers, but now find their lives having gone in disappointing directions. Looking to turn things around, they decide to remake the eponymous cult classic, which was their favorite film as a group, but their amateur production quickly hits a snag when they become hunted by the titular giant snake.
In honor of the movie’s release, ScreenRant’s Ash Crossan interviewed Thandiwe Newton and Steve Zahn to discuss Anaconda. When asked about the toughest scene to shoot in the film amid its improv-welcomed production, Newton recalled a scene in which the four leads were shooting a tense chase scene with the titular snake, in which they were “running down this alleyway kind of thing” and had the “camera on our backs,” with a crane acting as “the beast.”
However, prior to shooting the scene, there were “beans served at lunch,” to which Newton revealed that “Jack had gas issues,” laughing as she explained that with every step he took during the scene, “there was a f—ing fart.” This led to all the actors “cracking up as we run,” which “thankfully” wasn’t as evident with the camera being focused on their backs instead of their faces.
This would change when they hit the beat in which they “have to turn around and face the camera,” to which Newton says the group were all holding their breath and making strained expressions on their faces to do so. But, as Zahn pointed out, “we had our stuff together” right up until Rudd delivered a scripted line:
Thandiwe Newton: Paul has the ultimate line, which is such a call back to our characters’ childhoods. He lifts up whatever he’s lifting up, and he rips the biggest fart you have ever f–king heard. And we are done.
Steve Zahn: We all just collapsed.
Thandiwe Newton: It was amazing. But that Paul Rudd, he is a comic wizard. His mind is so quick. Literally, a millisecond later, he’ll say something.
Steve Zahn: Yeah, it’s really insane.
Thandiwe Newton: He’s got a mind like Quicksilver. He really does.
The Anaconda Cast Became Real Lifelong Friends During Shooting
ScreenRant: I was dying throughout this movie. It’s so funny. How do you describe the friendship of the group after this movie?
Thandiwe Newton: This is a reunion. I didn’t want it to end.
Steve Zahn: It’s a rarity just to do a movie like this. They’re not made. If you think about it, everything is just bathed in this cynicism. God, it was a perfect storm that this thing was made now and comes out on Christmas Day. It’s kind of medicine, in a weird way.
Thandiwe Newton: Alkaline to the acid. Really. We need to laugh, man. We need to get some lightness and also remember what we can achieve as a group of people together.
Steve Zahn: Shooting this movie with each other was just as enjoyable as watching it will be. We went to work every day and played and laughed.
Thandiwe Newton: We’d hang out. Afterward, we’d go and have dinner together, all of us. Oftentimes, when you’re working on a movie, you go back to your trailer when you have breaks. It’s tiring, and you want a bit of alone time. But we hung out in a tent together all the time. There was so much being talked about on set that you just wanted to keep talking. And it’s on-camera! Jack and Paul have known each other since they were kids, basically, and have been fans of each other forever. I can’t believe they haven’t been in a buddy movie like this. But really, it’s that old tradition of Laurel and Hardy, or Reeves and Mortimer.
Steve Zahn: Yeah. They’re really perfect together.
Thandiwe Newton: They really are. They make each other laugh so much. And that is all in the movie!
ScreenRant: I was so excited about the Saving Silverman reunion.
Steve Zahn: You know, that’s why I had a ‘stache? I was like, “No, I want to have a stash just like Wayne in the movie.” That was my little wink.
Thandiwe Newton: There was a lot of that.
Steve Zahn: There are a lot of layers like that in the movie.
ScreenRant: I have to imagine y’all were singing constantly with Jack Black.
Thandiwe Newton: Jack Black sings all the time.
Steve Zahn: Constantly. Same with Paul. Paul does too.
Thandiwe Newton: Paul’s great. He’s a really good musician. You are too; you’re great with the guitar.
Steve Zahn: With those guys, it was constant. There was always music.
Thandiwe Newton: Then the sound people, if Jack starts singing a song, they’d set up the song and play it. And so, we were all just waiting for the camera to set up for the next shot. Just staying on set, not going back to our trailers, staying on set, and having fun with it.
Steve Zahn: Do you remember when we would be on set, and someone would start telling a story? It would be some story from a past movie or something, and they’d go like, “Okay, guys, we’re ready to go…” And we would keep talking, and they would wait. Even if it was like three minutes! We would get to the end of the story, and it’s like, “Yeah, yeah. So, anyway…”
Thandiwe Newton: That was all part of it, though. It got us in the mood. We didn’t feel like we were being restricted. It was all allowed. And Kevin and Tom were so generous with their script. We could just use it.
Steve Zahn: They were throwing stuff in left and right. That was genius.
Thandiwe Newton: They would throw a line in that would make us all laugh. We’d all have to take a second just to breathe and then do it.
Rudd Wants To See Black Return To An Underrated Role Of His
ScreenRant: I have to acknowledge the drip we have going on here. Tell me about the outfits.
Jack Black: I didn’t know that this was going to be so drippy, but Paul suggested, “We should go twinsies. What are you wearing? Let’s twin it up.” And then I called my lady at Dying Desires on Etsy, and I was like, “Can you whip us up something snaky?” And she came up with this rad, tie-dye, snaky outfit for both of us.
Paul Rudd: I don’t know why I had this idea of jumpsuits. But then this was such a nice surprise because Jack didn’t tell me about it. This morning, I’m decked out.
Jack Black: You came correct, dude. You had a rad suit.
Paul Rudd: I looked like a million bucks.
Jack Black: I was like, “Get that off of your body now.”
Paul Rudd: That suit is a heap on the floor, and I’m like, “Let’s go right now.” And I laid it.
ScreenRant: This movie’s effing hilarious. In movies, characters played by Jack Black have owned The Lotion in the Basket and The Millennium Concert Setlist signed by Neil Diamond. If Paul comes to your house, what’s the first thing you show him — and vice versa?
Jack Black: You’re talking about memorabilia. Motion picture memorabilia. Do you have anything that you’ve saved, Paul?
Paul Rudd: I do have stuff. I’ve got some really good stuff. I have a lot of memorabilia. I also have the historical memorabilia. I like collecting stuff. I have FAO Schwarz’s actual invitation to the grand opening of the Brooklyn Bridge.
Jack Black: That’s got to be 100 years ago or more! What about the Hindenburg?
Paul Rudd: I have stationary from the Hindenburg.
Jack Black: I’ll tell you what I would show him. This is not as cool as those, but I do have the original School of Rock guitar. I saved it. That was mine. I did a couple of movies, and at the end, I was like, “Can I keep this?” And I realized early on, the movie studios don’t want anyone to have anything from those movies. The best you can do is borrow it, but you’re not allowed to keep it. You sign this that says, “You’ll never sell it, and we actually own it. When you die, it comes back to us.” So, for that movie, I was like, “They’re going to try to f–k me.” So, I showed up on the first day of shooting. I was like, “This is the guitar I bought at Guitar Center. I want to use my guitar in the movie.” Now, at the end, it’s still mine.
ScreenRant: This movie is so meta. It’s a reboot, sequel, meta, requel kind of situation. If you had to revisit a character for a reboot, sequel, or whatever else, who would you like to play again?
Paul Rudd: I was going to say, it might be easier for us to answer for each other. I would love to see Jack do a little more Nacho [Libre]. I think that would be pretty spectacular. And, actually, maybe a little more Bernie Tiede.
Jack Black: Dude, I’d love to see some more Ant-Man, but I feel like that is in the cards. That is coming right around the corner.
Paul Rudd: I don’t want you to feel like you have to reciprocate and give me an answer. But, yes, it’s true. Thank you.
Jack Black: I’d also like to see you on Broadway again. A lot of people don’t know that I saw Paul in a Broadway production of The Shape of Things, which was just magnificent. You were tremendous. Did you get award nominations for that?
Paul Rudd: No. It was a short little run. It might have gotten a couple. It was at the Promenade Theater, so technically, it’s not allowed to get Tonys. That’s what I tell myself!
Jack Black: Are you getting a hankering to go back to Broadway?
Paul Rudd: The thing about me, Jack, is that I come from the stage. So, I think that if I’m going to tread the path some wouldn’t… Yeah, sure! Sometimes I think, “Do I call up Don Cheadle and say, ‘Hey, I’m Not Rappaport hasn’t been done in a long time. Let’s do it. Let’s get this thing on its feet!'” Who’s interested in remounting The Duchess of Malfi? Show of hands.
Jack Black: Would it be weird to do a staged production of Mac and Me? Would that be something you would consider? A Broadway run, Mac and Me. Maybe it’s a musical, though.
Paul Rudd: Imagine all of the tickets it would sell!
ScreenRant: I have a binder in my house of drinking games to best-worst movies, and Mac and Me was on mine for years. Everyone’s like, “You have to watch this thing Paul Rudd does.”
Paul Rudd: I don’t know what either one of you are talking about!
Jack Black: Speaking of things that not enough people have seen, I just recently saw an interview you did with Michael Cera and Rick Glassman, Take Your Shoes Off. Do yourself a favor, check out Take Your Shoes Off. You did one of the all-time funniest interviews. It’s a podcast, but it’s more like a major motion picture. It’s a quick hour and a half, and the f–king journey you go on? I was literally blown away and, spoiler alert, that f–king grand finale? Was that you? Because that actually looked dangerous. That was f–king you? We’ll talk later. It couldn’t have been you, because that actually was really dangerous, like a full flight of stairs.
Be sure to check out some of our other Anaconda-related coverage with:
Ice Cube & Tom Gormican breaking down his Anaconda return 28 years after the original Gormican on how Jennifer Lopez’s return sets up a potential sequel Thandiwe Newton on the sneaky Kung Fu Panda Easter egg she improvised for the film Jack Black on the cult favorite comedy he wants to make a sequel to Paul Rudd on his one regret from the Anchorman franchise
Anaconda is now in theaters!
Anaconda 10 stars 9 stars 8 stars 7 stars 6 stars 5 stars 4 stars 3 stars 2 stars 1 star Like Follow Followed PG-13 Adventure Comedy Horror Release Date December 24, 2025 Runtime 99 minutes Director Tom Gormican Cast See All Jack Black Doug McCallister Paul Rudd Ronald Griffen ‘Griff’ Jr. Daniela Melchior Ana Almeida Thandiwe Newton Claire Simons Writers Kevin Etten Producers Andrew Form, Brad Fuller Main Genre Adventure Genres Adventure, Comedy, Horror Executive Producer(s) Samson Mucke Powered by Expand Collapse
