Jack Black Reveals Why “Anaconda” Felt 'Very Close to Home' for Him and Paul Rudd (Exclusive)
- - Jack Black Reveals Why “Anaconda” Felt 'Very Close to Home' for Him and Paul Rudd (Exclusive)
Jack SmartDecember 23, 2025 at 8:35 PM
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Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Jack Black and Paul Rudd in 'Anaconda' -
Paul Rudd and Jack Black speak to PEOPLE about their new movie, a comedic reboot of Anaconda
Black says playing filmmakers in the jungle felt “very close to home” since, essentially, “we are playing ourselves”
Their characters’ drive to tell stories on film was “very near and dear to my heart,” says Rudd
Paul Rudd and Jack Black’s new movie operates on several meta levels.
Anaconda stars the duo alongside Steve Zahn and Thandiwe Newton as a group of amateur filmmakers traveling to the Amazon jungle to reboot the titular 1997 creature feature.
“In a way, we are playing ourselves,” says Black, 56, speaking to PEOPLE.
“It was very close to home,” he says. “It's these friends that are going out to make their dreams come true. And that's how I feel every time I go out to make a movie.”
The Tom Gormican-directed Anaconda features a giant snake not unlike the original film’s, which starred Ice Cube and Jennifer Lopez. But befitting its leading duo, the new movie puts a comedic spin on the man-eating monster.
“I love horror films and I love comedies,” says Black. “To find a way into both of those genres in a nice, perfect, yummy, yummy, mix-mix — get peanut butter and jelly, get those two flavors that taste great together — that's a special thing. I was really thrilled to get the opportunity to do something original like that.”
Rudd, 56, “related” to his character’s filmmaking aspirations as a teenager, seen in the friends’ old VHS tape of a home movie, he says.
“The thing that we used to do when we were kids was make movies. We had a camcorder, we used to make little goofy things. ... That's very near and dear to my heart.”
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Robyn Beck / AFP via Getty
Paul Rudd and Jack Black at the Los Angeles premiere of 'Anaconda' on Dec. 13
When they’re not running from snakes, Black and Rudd’s characters have plenty of fun in the Amazon, a vibe they channeled offscreen too — to a point.
“In the back of your mind, you're like, ‘This is the best job, this is the best life. Don't f--- it up. Don't ruin it,’ ” says Black. Adds Rudd, “We really care about it."
Their aim, the pals say, is always to have fun on a movie like Anaconda despite the pressures of leading one.
“Here's the thing,” explains Black. “Try having fun when there's 100 people on the crew and they're up against the time limit, you don't have time to take too many takes.
Courtesy of Sony Pictures
Jack Black in 'Anaconda'
“It's not easy,” the A Minecraft Movie star admits. “If you can find a way to relax and enjoy those stressful moments and have fun, then that's the art. That's where the good s--- is, baby. And hopefully it creates something special on f---ing screen that people can enjoy.”
“That's the goal,” agrees Rudd — even when “it's 90 degrees outside.”
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Anaconda is in theaters Dec. 25.
on People
Source: “AOL Entertainment”
