Anaconda Reboot Emerges as One of 2025’s Funniest Movies, Early Reactions Say

Yup, there is a new Anaconda. And yes, people have already seen it. Early reactions just dropped, and the vibe is: this thing is very funny, very weird, and surprisingly self-aware for a snake movie.

The basics: this is a meta reboot of the 1997 Luis Llosa original, meaning it plays with the legend of Anaconda while also living inside it. Paul Rudd and Jack Black lead the charge, with Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, and Selton Mello backing them up. Tom Gormican directs from a script he co-wrote with Kevin Etten. It hits theaters on December 25, 2025. Merry Snake-mas.

'It feels like equal parts Be Kind Rewind, Strange Wilderness, and the original Anaconda, all mixed with an absolutely unhinged sense of fun.'

That line came from MOVIEDEATHBLOWS on X, and it kind of sums up what most folks are saying. There is a lot of comedy here, including one mid-late stretch people are calling one of the funniest sequences they have seen in a theater this year.

Early reactions in a nutshell

• MOVIEDEATHBLOWS (X): Called it one of the funniest movies they watched this year, with a second-half set-piece that killed. They also told people to see it when it opens next week.
• Klepcx (X): Labeled the movie 'comedically unhinged.' Said it starts as a surprisingly gentle, almost sincere story about dreamers before mutating into a big, rowdy crowd-pleaser that knows exactly what it is. Lots of gags, jump scares, and curveballs, and a pointed nod that this is how to reboot an IP the right way.
• Nick L'Barrow (X): Put it closer to Tropic Thunder energy than the original Anaconda. Said the antics never let up, praised Jack Black, Paul Rudd, and Steve Zahn, and handed Selton Mello the MVP crown. Also flagged some legit action, solid tension, and a few well-timed jump scares to keep the snake DNA intact.
• RobertoTylerOr1 (X): Mixed take. Loved the first-act comedy but thought things slipped once the action/horror kicked in. Said the aging-and-regret thread was the most interesting part and wished the movie felt a little more sure of itself.

Rudd and Black headlining a self-aware Anaconda that doubles as a hard comedy is a swing I did not have on my 2025 bingo card, but early word says the gamble pays off more often than not. Also worth noting for the industry-nerd crowd: multiple viewers are praising it as a smart way to revive a familiar brand without just rehashing it.

Anaconda opens in theaters December 25, 2025. Directed by Tom Gormican. Written by Gormican and Kevin Etten. Starring Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, and Selton Mello.