Ice Cube Explains the New Movie Cameo He Couldn't Say No To

Ice Cube is headed back to the world of giant killer snakes — briefly. Twenty-eight years after he shot Anaconda in 1997, he says he jumped at a quick cameo in the 2025 meta-remake once he heard what kind of movie the team was making. Different, cool, and worth popping in for, basically.

Why Ice Cube said yes this time

Talking to People, Cube called the cameo a fun way to bring things full circle. Once the filmmakers explained their approach, he was in. He thinks fans will get a kick out of seeing him pop up, and honestly, that is the right way to use nostalgia: quick hit, move on. A few months earlier, when TMZ asked him about the new take, he shrugged and said it was going to be funny — which tracks with the whole meta angle.

Rudd appreciates the blessing

Paul Rudd leads the new movie and told The Hollywood Reporter he was grateful that Cube was cool with what they were making. He compared getting Cube’s nod to something pretty sacred:

It was like being blessed by the Pope. You go over, you kiss the ring and he gives you a pat on the head and says, 'Good job, son.'

Quick refresher on the 1997 original

In the first movie, Ice Cube played Danny Rich, the cameraman on a documentary crew filming in the Amazon. Jennifer Lopez was Terri Flores, the director; Owen Wilson was Gary Dixon, the sound guy and Terri’s boyfriend; and Eric Stoltz was Dr. Steven Cale, the anthropologist leading the expedition. Things went downhill fast when Jon Voight’s unhinged snake hunter Paul Serone hijacked the crew to help him chase a giant green anaconda. Also along for the ride back then: Danny Trejo.

The 2025 movie at a glance

• Release date: December 25, 2025 (theatrical)
• Director: Tom Gormican
• Writers: Tom Gormican and Kevin Etten
• Cast: Paul Rudd, Jack Black, Daniela Melchior, Thandiwe Newton, Steve Zahn, and more
• Yes, Ice Cube makes a cameo in this meta spin on the original